Germany's position that Serbia cannot join the EU until it recognizes the independence of Kosovo "is only a Germany's position."
This was stated on Tuesday in Belgrade by European parliament member (MEP) Eduard Kukan.
And the German position in question was put forward last week, also in Belgrade, by an MP from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU party.
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic spoke on Monday in Belgrade with Chairman of the EP Committee for Stabilization and Association of the EU and Serbia Eduard Kukan, B92 reports.
According to the Serbian government, Brnabic told Kukan that membership in the Union is Serbia's strategic goal, but that reform measures should first of all be to contribute to the progress of the state and to the better life of its citizens.
Belgrade is ready to continue dialogue with Pristina, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told European Parliament delegation on Monday, BETA news agency reports.
“Serbia is ready to continue the dialogue even in the situation with heightened political and security tensions which are primarily unfavorable to the Serbs in Kosovo,” Vucic is quoted as saying in a press release following the meeting with the delegation headed by European Parliament (EP) official Eduard Kukan.
We continue to intensively work with Belgrade and Pristina on legally-binding agreement on comprehensive normalization of relations, Head of EU Delegation in Serbia, Sem Fabrizi told Danas daily. He also added both sides are fully engaged with EU High Representative Federica Mogherini in order to define elements of that agreement.
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.”
German parliamentarian Peter Beyer thinks Kosovo is "factually independent and Serbia should recognize de jure the sovereign state of the Republic of Kosovo."
The President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday that the rule of law was not the most significant problem for Belgrade, but that was the Kosovo issue, the Beta news agency reported.
Speaking to the Pink television, Vucic said that the European Commission would soon “report significant progress made by Serbia in the rule of law,” adding that the Venice Commission approved the constitutional amendments and that "everything goes in right direction.”
A technical dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is under way, with the ultimate goal of scheduling a top-level agreement next. Spokesperson at the European Commission, Maja Kocijancic, said this in Brussels, on October 23, Beta news agency reported.
EU High Representative Federica Mogherini's spokesperson told Beta news agency that "a date should be set" for a meeting between Belgrade and Pristina highest-ranking representatives.
European Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that solving Kosovo issue was not the only condition for Serbia’s membership to the European Union, adding that the rule of law and good governance remained in the center of the negotiations, Belgrade-based Vecernje Novosti daily reports today.
Still, Hahn said, Belgrade should finalize and permanently implement an agreement with Pristina that would contribute to the regional stability.
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.