Serbia's EU candidate status 'possible' in 2009: Barroso

0 Comments | AFP, September, 2008

BRUSSELS (AFP) — Serbia could become an EU candidate nation next year but must first meet conditions including full cooperation with an international war crimes court, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Wednesday.

"It will be possible to have candidate status next year" if the conditions are fulfilled, Barroso told reporters in a new briefing with Serbian President Boris Tadic.

However, he added that "this is not a commitment. It depends on Serbia," which still needs to fully cooperate with The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and accelerate domestic reforms.

Barroso hailed the recent arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, which he described as an "historic moment and a milestone...