European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia, David McAllister said in an interview to Vecernje Novosti daily that this horrible crime should not inflame dangerous rhetoric in the region.

He again condemned the murder of Oliver Ivanoic and expressed sincere condolence to his family. McAllister underlined that the responsible judicial institutions must conduct a swift and professional investigation and bring perpetrators before the justice.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told RTS that the inevitable topic in Davos was Kosovo and Metohija.

He said that it us "up to us to try to talk and reach a compromise, and lose only what we have to."

"This means not losing what we must not lose, and if you want to define it in this way, to lose only what we have to. I think that is something that is normal, rational," Vucic said.

A comprehensive normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, in the form of a legally binding agreement, is "urgent" for the EU.

That's according to a working version of EU enlargement strategy that the Belgrade daily Vecenje Novosti said it has seen.

According to the article, which noted that the document should officially be presented in February, an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina is of essential importance for the European perspective of both Kosovo and Serbia and the wider region.

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic took part on Wednesday in a meeting of the group "New Leaders for Europe" within the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The Serbian government announced this, quoting Brnabic as saying that "the Balkans needs Europe, but that the Balkans is also needed by Europe."

Brnabic said that European integration of the countries of the Western Balkans is an important factor for the future of the region.

Edi Rama says although Serbia is ahead of Albania in the process of EU accession, the two countries could join the EU together.

Speaking in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, the Albanian prime minister said this could happen "under the assumption that Serbia recognizes Kosovo."

"This is a performance-based process. Serbia has advantage because it is already negotiating and we hope to start negotiations this year," Rama said.

The Enlargement Strategy, entitled “Credible Perspective of Enlargement to the Western Balkans”, will be presented on 6 February during the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Following of the adoption of the official text of the document by the College of Commissioners, the Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, will present a Strategy before the members of the European Parliament when it will be also publicly disclosed.

President of the Social-Democratic Party (SDS), Boris Tadic told Serbian media that since Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) came into power, Serbia’s European path is not conditioned with the progress and level of achieved reforms, but with “the trade of the authorities, in which they are fulfilling requests related to Kosovo for the sake of an international applause and remain in power,” KiM Radio reported.

Tadic also said that during his presidential mandate, “political hardliners were in power” in Pristina so there was no much space for policy of reconciliation and compromise.

EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn says 2025 is "a realistic goal for a new wave of (EU) enlargement.)

Serbia and Montenegro have currently "progressed the farthest" toward that goal - but that does not mean that the two countries will definitely be the first to "cross the finish line," Hahn told Austria's APA agency.

"There is still much to do," he said.

Following the brutal slaying of Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic, analysts from both Serbia and Kosovo fear for the future of the EU-led dialogue, which was already in trouble.

Serbia has put the EU-led dialogue with Kosovo on hold until the murdered Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic’s killers are found.

Meanwhile, analysts from both Serbia and Kosovo are warning that the future of the dialogue now looks very uncertain, despite EU pressure for the talks between Serbia and its ex-province to resume.

Bulgaria has, for the fist time since becoming an EU member ten years ago, taken over the organization's six-month rotating presidency.

The Western Balkans' EU perspective has been states as one of Sofia's priorities.