Serbian Parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic and European Parliamentary rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin agreed in Belgrade on March 16 that Serbia had visibly progressed in meeting its obligations in the process of joining the EU.

The two officials agreed that in the future the process would largely depend on International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz's report, a statement from Parliament said, adding that Serbian Parliament had developed "lively parliamentary activity," not just in the region, but in many EU members states as well.

Djukic Dejanovic stressed that it was particularly important that major steps had been made toward enhancing parliamentary cooperation with parliaments in the ex-Yugoslavia.

Late on March 16, Kacin met with parliamentary Committee on European Integrations chairman Laszlo Varga, who told him that "Serbia has begun preparations for filling out the European Commission's questionnaire," and that a law on parliament had been passed.

At a joint news conference, Kacin declined to say whether a regional summit on the European future of the Western Balkans scheduled to be held in Slovenia on March 20 would be held if Serbia declined to participate.

Even though I hold Slovenian citizenship and know something about that, I cannot and must not speak about it. There is direct communication there. Mr (Boris) Tadic knows what is going on. If he is there he will be seen by everyone, all of Europe, and if not, no one will see him, Kacin said.

The question that needs to be answered is whether Serbia can bring the region together or that's only an illusion that we eternally dream of, with no progress, Kacin added.

When asked by reporters whether Serbia's recognition of Kosovo was a condition for its membership in the EU, Kacin said none of Europe's institutions were posing this question.

"Serbia is occupying itself with this question. This question is always posed publicly by your politicians and not ours... Sorry, this is a Serbian thing. It's not the EU's stance," a visibly irritated Kacin replied.