The European Union has minimised the impact China has on the Balkans, the bloc’s Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn has said on Tuesday, adding he is worried about the level of loans for infrastructural projects those countries take from Beijing, the Beta news agency reported.

In an interview with Financial Times, Hahn said such loans increased the risk for those countries in the long run.

According to him, the EU would have been a more fair partner.

Belgrade-based daily Danas writes that West does not trust the opposition in Serbia would conclude the agreement with Kosovo, because of Dveri Movement, which is a member of the Alliance for Serbia (SzS), while other members of the Alliance “have no clear responses and attitudes in relation to the recognition of Kosovo independence.”

The US wants to see Serbia in EU and in the family of European peoples, Ambassador Kyle Scott said, adding that in this regard, his country would intensify relations with Serbia, Tanjug news agency reported.

He also said by joining the EU, Serbia would get stronger after all it underwent with its neighbors and people would be able to live better.

“You want your citizens to live same as in Europe and to become a part of the European club, but you have to respect their rules,” Ambassador Scott said at the Kopaonik Business Forum.

France must focus on the Western Balkans which have become “a diplomatic dead end”, French European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said, the Belgrade-based Beta news agency reported.

She told the French daily newspaper La Croix that the European Union has not engaged itself sufficiently in reinforcing the peace in the reigon.
“Things can either go in a good direction or in a bad one” but there can be no status quo, she said.

David McAllister, the European Parliament (EP) Rapporteur for Serbia told Radio Free Europe (RFE) in an interview his delegation called on Pristina authorities to revoke the decision on the 100 percent import taxes on goods from Serbia to enable the Belgrade – Pristina dialogue to resume, the Beta news agency reported on Wednesday.

On Monday, Nathalie Loiseau, French Minister for European Affairs said ahead of her visit to Belgrade that the current situation in the EU did not allow enlargement under the satisfactory conditions.

The European Movement in Serbia Secretary-general Suzana Grubjesic told N1 on Wednesday that the European Union showed fatigue with the enlargement but added Serbia should continue with the reforms.

Serbia and the whole region are part of Europe, Serbian Minister of Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlovic said, commenting on a statement made by the French Minister for European Affairs Nathalie Loiseau. French Minister told Serbian press ahead of her visit here this week that "the current state of the EU does not allow for new accessions."

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has expressed his concern over Pristina's stance to, despite pressure from the international community, not revoke its tariffs on Serbian goods, Tanjug news agency reported.

The President Vucic, speaking to the Italian Ambassador Carlo Lo Cascio in Belgrade on Monday, said Serbia will return to dialogue only after the withdrawal of the tariffs. He emphasized that he was concerned about the inability of the European Union to exert more pressure on the Pristina authorities.

The current situation in the European Union does not allow enlargement under the satisfactory condition, Nathalie Loiseau, French Minister for European Affairs said ahead of her visit to Belgrade, the Beta news agency reported on Monday.

She said the May election would be crucial for the future of the EU.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic termed the call by Kosovo Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli to create an alliance against Serbia as “senseless”, adding such idea can not be accepted in Montenegro, BETA news agency reported.

Commenting on Veseli’s call that North Macedonia and Montenegro as members of NATO and Kosovo “should gather against Serbia,” Markovic said that something like that cannot be accepted in Montenegro.