Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said on Oct. 23 that the government would adopt an action plan for meeting the conditions for obtaining the status of an EU candidate and starting membership talks, by the end of the year.

"Representatives of the European Commission have named ten key areas in which they expect progress from Serbia," Djelic said.

"Figuratively speaking, these are the 'ten European commandments for 2011,' which have to be fulfilled so that we may acquire the status of a candidate, and, more importantly, begin negotiations for entry into the EU," the Serbian deputy prime minister said.

He said that the aformentioned "commandments" would crystalize when the European Commission published it report on Serbia's progress in Brussels on Nov. 9.