Serbian President Boris Tadic stated Tuesday that the Council of Europe (CoE) North-South Prize he was awarded in Lisbon is an honor he shares with the entire Serbian nation and that he received the award on behalf of all the citizens of Serbia.

"The citizens of Serbia are those who should be primarily credited for the country's official candidate status. They are the ones who have had to bear the burden of the demanding reforms we have been implementing," Tadic said at the ceremony at which President of Portugal Anibal Cavaco Silva presented him with the award, which was bestowed on an active head of state for the first time.

Tadic said that the Serbian nation deserves a new chance and a new opportunity to secure its stability and prosperity, because it clearly chose the path of democracy and European values.

He recalled that it has been more than a decade since the citizens chose democracy, and that they reached some difficult decisions in the meantime, which defined them as a nation.

"As nations and citizens of the world, we are all defined by the choices we make. These choices open doors and close others. These choices require sacrifice by those who may see little benefit for themselves but whose choices and actions alter the futures of those yet unborn," Tadic said.

"Becoming an official EU candidate is a very important moment for Serbia - a visible milestone on the road our citizens chose to take in October 2000," and the choice was supported at the ballot box and as part of an on-going national dialogue.

"Serbia has chosen stability and dignity and we have chosen to accept and embrace the responsibility that comes with our place in the international community. A place that continues to strengthen and grow and which was recently recognized with EU Candidate Status and our future integration into Europe", the president said.

We will continue our efforts so that Serbia is able to receive, by the end of the year, a date for the opening of negotiations for full membership in the EU, he noted.

"This is something we deserve, in fulfillment of existing, established criteria. Opening of accession negotiations will represent the moment in which the process of European integration of Serbia will have truly moved past the point of no return," the president said.

"Serbia will stay the course on reforms and remain a partner to all in the region," Tadic stressed.

"Our activities are centered on the consolidation of peace in the region, and on modernizing our society. This is rooted not only in European values we share, but in knowing how to defend our identity and in making sure our business community is able to be as competitive as possible in the international marketplace,“ he said.

A full commitment to fight organized crime is one of the most important priorities of the current Government of Serbia and we will stay the course - come what may, Tadic noted.

The inherited network of criminal organizations posed a grave threat to the foundation of the democratic society, but together with our EU and American partners, Serbia has fought a systematic war against organized crime and actively participated in a number of operations which produced very encouraging results, Tadic underlined.

Referring to Kosovo, which he qualified as an issue of great importance not only for Serbia but also for the stability of the entire region, Tadic reiterated that Serbia will never recognize the unilateral declaration of independence of its southern province, while at the same time it does not want a frozen conflict.

We are dedicated to finding a peaceful and just compromise - a sustainable and comprehensive settlement to the problem of Kosovo, the president explained.

"Only such a solution can contribute to the genuine reconciliation and lasting peace between the peoples of the Balkans," Tadic said presenting his four-point plan as the basis of the solution.

Tadic also pointed to another difficult task inherited from the 1990s i.e. the prosecution of war criminals, and recalled that by the arrest of the ICTY indictees and the parliament's adoption of the Declaration on Srebrenica, Serbia has proved its commitment to regional reconciliation.

The Serbian president recalled his personal initiatives such as the visits to Srebrenica, Bratunac (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Vukovar (Croatia) and other places where the innocent became victims, which have greatly contributed to rising the level of trust and stability in the region.

The North-South Prize for 2011 was bestowed to the Serbian president "in recognition of his political action for the reconciliation of the Balkans and the integration of his country in the process of European construction," the Council of Europe (CoE) released.

Apart from Tadic, President of the International Federation of the Human Rights league (FIDH) Souhayr Belhassen of Tunisia was also awarded in recognition of her long-time commitment in favor of human rights in the world, as well as for her fight for the rights of women in developing countries.

The prize has been awarded every year since 1995 to two candidates who have stood out for their exceptional commitment to promoting human rights and intercultural dialogue.