On 4 February the state union of Serbia and Montenegro was proclaimed in succession to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Agreement on the formation of the state union was brokered by the EU. It supported the establishment of the new federal institutions and the implementation of wide-ranging political and economic reforms. The stability of the new structures was seriously challenged by the tragic assassination of the Prime Minister of Serbia, Zoran Djindjic, on 12 March. In response a state of emergency was declared in Serbia by the acting President, Natasa Micic but it was lifted on 22 April.
It is clear that the perpetrators of the assassination of Prime Minister Djindjic were the enemies of democracy, reform and human rights in Serbia. With strong public backing, the new Serbian Government of Prime Minister Zoran Zivkovic, and the federal authorities, reacted by showing their determination to continue with the reform process, to step up the fight against organised crime and to implement major reform of the defence and military structures. Considerable progress has been made in stabilising Serbia. On 12 May, during my visit to Belgrade and Podgorica, I met federal President Svetozar Marovic and Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic. I welcomed the progress which had been made in the reform process and in the fight against organised crime, and the signs of an improvement in the level of co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
All of the political leaders I met in Serbia and Montenegro emphasised their commitment to the pursuit of the wide-ranging reform process which is required for the consolidation of democracy and stability and for the development of closer relations with the EU. I assured them of the EU's support. The stability of Serbia and Montenegro and of the western Balkans region depends on further progress in the implementation of political, economic and administrative reforms, and on the development of closer regional economic co-operation.
The EU is taking the lead in the promotion of this process, primarily through the stabilisation and association process. The EU-Western Balkans Summit in Thessalonika on 21 June will be an important point in the development of our relations with the region. I hope that it will result in a clear political message to the people of the western Balkans that the future of the region lies in eventual integration into European structures, on the basis of clear and objective economic and political criteria, to be met by the Governments of the countries concerned. Ireland will play its part in the development of this relationship, especially during our EU Presidency in the first half of 2004.
Question No. 99 answered with Question No. 6.