Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn has said that his country will do everything in its power to ensure that Serbia opens the first negotiation chapters along the path toward full membership in the bloc during its EU presidency.

Our presidency will encourage the opening of negotiation chapters with Serbia as soon as requirements are met, Asselborn said for Wednesday's issue of Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti, underlining that the intention is that this should happen this year, depending on an extent to which Serbia is capable of fulfilling the criteria.

Luxembourg's foreign minister welcomed the courage that the Serbian government demonstrated in the dialogue with Pristina.

Luxembourg's presidency will attach special importance to the enlargement policy, he noted.

Luxembourg has not forgotten the promise given to Belgrade during the 2013 summit in Thessaloniki that the future of the region lies in the EU, Asselborn said.

He commended the constructive role that Serbia has this year as the country holding the OSCE's chairmanship.