Departure of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who announced she would not run for the new mandate, would have an impact on everything that happens in Europe, including Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Regional Cooperation Council Secretary General Goran Svilanovic believes, Blic daily reports.
The stance of the German Government did not change. We expect comprehensive normalization of relations through the signing of legally binding agreement.
This was a response from the German Embassy in Belgrade given to Danas daily, following the statement of Bundestag member Peter Beyer, who said that Serbia should "de jure" recognize Kosovo in order to join the EU.
Meanwhile, Danas interlocutors from the Washington diplomatic circles said that the idea on delineation as possible solution to the Kosovo issue “is practically dead.”
Belgrade won’t give up its pride and constitution for some European ‘carrot’, and the battle for Kosovo still lies ahead of us, Serbia’s Foreign Minister has told the Vecernje Novosti daily on Friday.
Ivica Dacic referred to a comment by Peter Beyer, a German parliamentarian from the Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party, who has recently told Belgrade authorities that “Serbia cannot be a part of the European Union until it de jure recognizes the independence of Kosovo.”
Beyer said on Wednesday in Belgrade that Serbia can't join the EU without recognizing Kosovo.
Brnabic said on Thursday that the statement came from one Bundestag (German parliament) member and did not represent Germany's official policy.
German parliamentarian Peter Beyer thinks Kosovo is "factually independent and Serbia should recognize de jure the sovereign state of the Republic of Kosovo."
The US and German ambassadors to Serbia, Kyle Scott and Thomas Schieb said on Thursday that the European countries had the same approach toward the Balkans and firmly support their accession to the European Union, Beta news agency reported.
However, taking part at the Belgrade Security Forum conference on Belgrade – Pristina dialogue, the two expressed different opinions on a border correction between Pristina and Belgrade as a solution to the Kosovo issue.
Belgrade-based daily Blic writes today, in an article ''EU asks Merkel to accept a deal between Belgrade and Pristina'', that European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia David McAllister has asked the German chancellor to accept a solution to the Kosovo problem that Serbia proposes.
The daily Blic is citing a source from diplomatic circles in Berlin. According to the daily, McAllister, recently met with Angela Merkel and expressed his views on this sensitive issue.
A new term has been introduced, via the media, into the process of resolving the situation in Kosovo and Metohija - "drawing it out."
Thomas Schieb, German ambassador to Serbia, said that the future of the Western Balkans is in the European Union, reiterating the bloc's general stand that the entry would be based on merits, TV N1 reported.
Schieb was addressing a two-day regional conference “Western Balkans 2030 - visions, wishes, reality,” opened in Belgrade on Wednesday.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told Greek daily he is worried about Belgrade-Pristina negotiations, adding that “an attempt to eliminate diversity by changing the border lines is dangerous,” Beta news agency reports.
Speaking to the Greek Kathimerini newspaper, Mass noted that “real reconciliation should happen between Serbia and Kosovo."
“The only adequate way for this to happen is (to show) more tolerance and accept diversities,” Maas said, adding an attempt to eliminate them by moving the border lines would be dangerous.