Belgrade officials expect relations with Serbia's ex-province to dominate talks with Angela Merkel, while Albania hopes the German Chancellor will bless the country's recent reforms.

Relations with Kosovo are expected to dominate meetings between Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, and Serbian officials on her visit to Belgrade on July 8-9.

Aleksandra Joksimovic, director of the Centre for Foreign Policy, told BIRN that the fact that Merkel is coming to Serbia during the height of the crisis with Greece is a sign that the EU remains committed to the EU future of the Western Balkan countries.

"I mainly expect a message encouraging the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina to proceed. The normalization of these relations is the most important matter for Serbia's continued negotiations on joining the EU," Joksimovic told BIRN.

"Without a green light from Germany, no new chapters will open," Joksimovic added.

At the latest EU-led Serbia-Kosovo talks, the leaders of the two countries failed to reach an agreement on four key issues at a meeting in Brussels on June 29, each side blaming the other for the logjam.

Serbia wants to open the first chapters in its negotiations with the EU by the end of this year, and concluding agreements with Kosovo are an important part of that process.

According to Serbia's Tanjug news agency, Merkel on June 4 praised the progress made between Serbia and Kosovo but said it needed to accelerate.

She noted that all the Western Balkan countries had been given a credible EU accession perspective.

"We believe that it is the only way to resolve the conflicts between these countries. And, despite all the difficulties still facing us, there has been progress," said Merkel, who will stop off in Tirana on Wednesday on her Balkan tour before coming to Belgrade.

During her stopover in Tirana, where she is due to hold a meeting with President Bujar Nishani and Prime Minister Edi Rama, economic exchanges between the two countries, security challenges and Kosovo are expected to be part of the agenda.  

In an interview with Tema TV, Albania's Minister for Economic Development, Arben Ahmetaj, said the Chancellor's visit was a public relations boost for the country.

“The visit of the German Chancellor is a big event for Albania in every aspect,” Amhetaj said.

“It’s a reconfirmation that Albania is going in the right direction and that the reforms that we have undertaken are in the right direction,” he added.