Romania Says It Won't Block Serbia EU Candidacy

Romania has no intention of blocking Serbia's EU candidacy status, despite what it perceives as problems with the Vlach minority in the country.

"You can't speak of a blockage," Romanian Foreign Minister Cristian Diaconescu has stated, as cited by international media. According to Diaconescu, Romania sought "normal guarantees" for the Vlach minority in Serbia.

Romania wants the European Commission to produce a progress report on minority rights in Serbia by September 2012, the Foreign Minister has also revealed. He expressed his hope that Romania and Serbia could sign a minority protocol "as soon as possible."

According to Eurasia Review, the Vlach community in Serbia is divided between those who consider themselves Serbian and those who declare themselves Romanian Vlachs.

On Wednesday, Bulgaria's marginal nationalist VMRO party released a statement saying that the Bulgarian government's support for Serbia's EU should depend on the country's treatment of its Bulgarian minority.

On Monday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe announced that Serbia was set to be granted European Union candidate status this week.

The decision much awaited by Serbia is expected to be formally taken by the ministers responsible for EU affairs on Tuesday and endorsed by EU leaders at a summit at the end of the week.

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