Serbia hands EU application bid

Serbia has officially submitted its European Union membership application to Sweden, the current holder of the 27-nation bloc's rotating presidency, PressTV reported.

Serbian President Boris Tadic handed over the application to Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt during a ceremony in Stockholm on Tuesday.

Speaking on behalf of the bloc, Reinfeldt said Belgrade needed to bridge a "long" path to membership through "major reforms."

However, the Swedish prime minister welcomed the bid on the grounds of regional development.

"I am convinced the Serbian application will be important not only for the development of Serbia, but for the region as a whole. Serbia and its people will make an important contribution to the EU family," Reinfeldt told reporters.

Serbia is expected to join EU at some time between 2014 and 2018, while its ascension has met with varying degrees of support in Europe.

As the largest republic of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia will now be under more pressure to cooperate with the United Nations war crimes tribunal for the former state, which may demand the arrest of Radko Mladic, a former Bosnian Serb general accused of war crimes during the Balkan wars.

Croatia, Montenegro, Iceland and Turkey are currently on the list of EU applicants.