We are ahead of a summit during which EU leaders will discuss innovation, European future for Western Balkans, and the response to President Trump's policies on trade and Iran.

See at: https://eu2018bg.bg/en/news/1062

There has been an increasing number of allegations in the media recently that Serbia had been presented with a plan for Kosovo, either verbally or in writing.

Each of them, although in different ways, suggests that Serbia on the road to membership in the European Union should agree to recognize Kosovo, or at least accept that Kosovo be given a chair in the United Nations.

Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy will definitely not participate in the EU-Western Balkans summit in Sofia, due to his country's position on Kosovo.

Spain does not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo.

"It was clear from the beginning that Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy does not want to attend due to Spain's position on Kosovo's status," Tanjug reported on Tuesday, citing a senior EU official.

A lower ranked diplomatic officials will still represent Spain at the summit, it has been announced in Brussels.

The forthcoming European Union Summit on Western Balkans in Sofia will be an incentive to linkage and enlargement, but the potential candidate countries still face a number of obstacles, a conference in Belgrade has been told on Monday.

The issue of enlargement was back on the EU’s agenda thanks to the Bulgarian presidency over the block, the country’s envoy to Belgrade Radko Vlajkov told the “EU Summit – Western Balkans: Where is the enlargement there?” conference.

According to the media reports, referring to unnamed sources, political directors for the Western Balkans of five Western countries, met on consultations on the final phase of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, scheduled to take place in the coming months and be crowned by a final agreement between the parties, expected to result in a normalization of relations.

It would be a great success if Serbia and Kosovo came to a compromise, because Kosovo is "within the reach of realizing its independence," says Ivica Dacic.

The foreign minister reiterated that Serbia will never recognize Kosovo but wants a compromise solution.

According to him, Kosovo is within reach of realizing its independence, while Serbia is surviving thanks to its traditional friends, because "the international community" thinks of the Kosovo issue as being resolved and "does not want to talk about it."

My first reaction to the statements of Aleksandar Vucic and Vladimir Putin that Russia has the power in UN to prevent the joining of Kosovo is - nobody ever doubted it. It's a fact.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told TV Pink, that Kosovo issue is the most important topic and government reconstruction can wait.

She added the reconstruction of the government was a topic some time ago, however serious things occurred in Kosovo and Metohija, thus it became “obvious that our unity is a priority and support to the President Vucic to find a solution in normalization of relations with Pristina. That is why reconstruction became of secondary importance,” Brnabic stated.

Bulgarian newspaper 24 Chasa is reporting that Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy will attend an informal meeting of the European Council on May 16 in Sofia.

However, it is not yet certain whether Rajoy will also participate in the EU-Western Balkans summit on May 17, BTA agency quoted the daily.

The report also stated that "Romania, Slovakia, and Cyprus, which, like Spain, do not recognize Kosovo, will participate in the summit."

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on Thursday with President of Cyprus Nikos Anastasiades, whom he welcomed in Belgrade earlier in the day.

Speaking after the meeting, Anastasiades - who was throughout their joint news conference addressing Vucic as "friend" and "dear president" - pointed out that relations between our two countries are deeply rooted in historic, friendly and religious ties, and that their mutually beneficial cooperation is safe.