Serbia aims for EU bid by year's end

BRUSSELS, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Serbia may submit its application for membership in the European Union before the end of the year, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic says.

He said it was important to first remove the final barriers, including cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.

The foreign minister will be traveling to the U.N. General Assembly in New York next week in a delegation headed by President Boris Tadic.

He said Serbia would have an opportunity to flesh out its arguments, primarily on the issue of safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He said further that Belgrade identified the countries that were being pressured into recognizing Kosovo, which broke away from Serbia.