The question of Kosovo is a crucial issue because it is necessary to know how to live with a neighbour to be able to exist within the European Union, Knut Fleckenstein, a member of the European Parliament (EP) told N1 morning show on Tuesday.
He has insisted that the EU does not want to import rivalries and that is why Belgrade and Pristina have to find a way to solve their problems.
“We thought – let Cyprus in (the EU), and then we will solve the issue with Turkey a non-EU member state. Nothing has been resolved. That is why our experience dictates that such problems must be solved” before joining the bloc, Fleckenstein said.
“I’m aware how big that problem is, but we shouldn’t get involved. I have great respect for presidents (Serbia’s Aleksandar) Vucic and (Kosovo’s Hashim) Thaci who want to find a solution, and we should let them do it. We shouldn’t comment and criticise every word they say,” he said.
Fleckenstein said it was a tough issue for both Kosovo and Serbia and his advice would be “to let the two do their job.”
“If there will be a suggestion, we will listen to it and then we will see what result can be achieved. Let Vucic and Thaci do that difficult work, don’t give them recommendations in advance,” Fleckenstein said, adding he would not like to be in their shoes.
Asked if 2025 was realistic for Serbia’s full EU membership, Fleckenstein said he would not like to play with figures.
“It’s a theoretical deadline. If everything goes smoothly, then it would be a good date for orientation. What year that would be, I don’t know. If I knew I would have been the head of the European Commission,” Fleckenstein said.
He added that a lot had changed in Serbia in the last several years, but that a lot remained to be done.
“Many reforms related to the rule of law and media position have started but have to be implemented, to become a part of life. The successes are visible in the economy,” he said, adding “the focus should be on media freedom where everything is OK on paper, but it should be in practice.”
Fleckenstein said the issue of media freedom was not only for the Government to deal with but for brave journalists as well.
