economy and Serbia's accession to the EU. Speaking to Parliament, he said that unemployment and economic recovery were the state's main priorities. Foreign relations He has said that Serbia will "co-operate with all the countries of the world, advocate security, stability and good relations in the western Balkans and hold out its hand in reconciliation". EU membership Serbia earned EU candidate status under Tadić's government, and Dačić has said that the new government will implement everything the previous government had accepted in the EU talks. Dačić supporters claim his pro-EU stance is evident in the handover of Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić under his tenure as Interior Minister, and his role in the visa-free travel for Serbs in the EU. Following the European Council's confirmation on 28 June 2013 that formal negotiations for the accession of Serbia to the EU could begin, Dačić announced that the Serbian government would remain continuously in session with the aim of completing the talks as quickly as possible. He emphasized that harmonisation with European laws is an integral part of the government's plan for boosting investment and employment. Status of Kosovo On 17 February 2008, the Assembly of Kosovo declared independence. It was the second declaration of independence by Kosovo's Albanian-majority political institutions, the first having been proclaimed on 7 September 1990. The legality of the declaration, and indeed whether it was an act of the Assembly, was disputed by the government of Serbia. Serbia sought international validation and support for its stance, and in October 2008 Serbia requested an advisory opinion on the matter from the International Court of Justice. The Court determined that the declaration of independence was legal. In 2006, upon being elected party leader, Dačić said that he had no problem fighting for Kosovo as he had done it before. Although the recognition of Kosovo by Serbia might not be a requirement for Serbia's EU accession, the EU opposes any partition of Kosovo into ethnic entities. In May 2011, he said that partition of Kosovo would be the "only realistic solution". On 25 July 2011, the North Kosovo crisis began when the Kosovo Police crossed into the Serb-controlled municipalities of North Kosovo, in an attempt to control several border crossings without the consultation of either Serbia or KFOR/EULEX. Though tensions between the two sides eased somewhat after the intervention of NATO's KFOR forces, they continued to remain high amid concern