Serbian President Boris Tadic submitted his country's application for European Union membership in Stockholm on Tuesday, saying it was a "historic day" and that Belgrade was determined to carry out the necessary reforms.
Tadic presented the application to Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt,whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency.
Reinfeldt was quoted by German news agency DPA as saying that it was "avery good day for Europe" and that "Serbia's decision is also areminder of the overall success, the attraction of the European Union."
Submission of a membership application is the first in a series of steps onthe road to EU membership.
An obstacle on Serbia's path to the EU is Ratko Mladic, former Bosnian Serbgeneral indicted for war crimes committed during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war, whois still at large. He and Goran Hadzic, a leader of the 1991-1995 Serbinsurgency in Croatia, are wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal forthe former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.
"We are doing everything possible to arrest them," Tadic toldreporters, saying it was "not very easy to find people with suchexperience."
Both Tadic and Reinfeldt noted Serbia's strategic geographic location as atransport and energy hub.
Outgoing European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn congratulated Serbiaand Sweden, saying the application crowned the Swedish EU presidency.
"The timing of Serbia's membership will depend on Serbia's ability tomeet all conditions," Rehn said.
