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.
Serbia
Progress in human rights protection was limited in 2016. Asylum seekers and migrant arrivals decreased, but the asylum system remains flawed with inadequate protections for unaccompanied children. Attacks and threats against journalists remain a problem. War crimes prosecutions progress remains slow. The Roma minority continue to face housing discrimination and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activists are subject to threats and attacks.
Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin yesterday received Cuba's ambassador in Belgrade, Gustavo Trista del Todo.
According to the Serbian government, the two officials "noted that there is a mutual positive impulse for further strengthening of cooperation between the two countries."
During his meeting, Vulin expressed his gratitude for Cuba's support to Serbia's fight to preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
MP in the Assembly of Serbia, Fatmir Hasani, from the Democratic Action Party, that is running the Bujanovac municipality, believes the vast majority of Albanians in the south of Serbia would support exchange of territories with Kosovo, Serbian media reported.
However, Deputy Mayor of Bujanovac municipality, Stojanca Arsic rejected such possibility as a bad and impossible option.
Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director, Marko Djuric told the BETA news agency, if Serbia was consulted, the Special Court for war crimes in Kosovo could really be international, and not a court established or dissolved by the Assembly in Pristina.
First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic on Thursday delivered a speech to students at the Diplomatic Academy in Belgrade.
Dacic told them that Serbia's key foreign policy priorities are the struggle to preserve the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, continuation of the EU negotiation process, and development of good neighborly relations.
Serbia will not give diplomatic status to the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center in Nis, writes Danas daily.
The report, carried by Beta, refers to "sources from the top of the government".
According to the newspaper, the decision made in 2014 will remains in force, by which the center in Nis was not granted diplomatic status.
Prime Minister Ana Brnabic has said in a radio interview with The Economist that 2018 is a year in which a lasting solution for Kosovo could be found.
"What we are doing now is looking for a lasting solution, so as not to leave a frozen conflict for those who will come afterward. We have a historic chance to find a sustainable solution. If we do not use this chance in 2018 we will not have another one for decades to come," Beta quoted Brnabic as telling the Economist.
People can say this or that, but we see how President Aleksandar Vucic is fighting to preserve Kosovo and Metohija, said Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej.
The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) spoke during liturgy he served in Banja Luka on the occasion of Serb Republic (RS) Day - and days after one of his top bishops, Amfilohije, caused a storm by expressing his fear the president's policy would lead to "the betrayal of Serbia and Kosovo".
Serbian Academy of Science and Arts (SANU) is not a party to have a political platform on Kosovo, instead it can only offer opinions of individuals, SANU President, Vladimir Kostic told Serbian media.
“Do not expect from SANU to take a joint stance on Kosovo and Metohija by over voting. This is not in the essence of the Academy. The Academy can offer opinions of individuals, and they differ to the extent present in the society,” Kostic told journalists commenting expectations from SANU in the internal dialogue on Kosovo.