BERLIN – The opening of the first chapters in Serbia’s accession negotiations with the European Union (EU) depends a lot on progress made in relations between Belgrade and Pristina, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said ahead of her visit to Belgrade.
We (the EU) urged Serbia and Kosovo to talk, said Merkel, who is visiting Belgrade on July 8-9.
There is still very much to be done, but there are really good signs of progress, and we are pushing to accelerate the process, Merkel said in a video message answering to questions put by student Lukas Werthenbach.
Asked about her opinion concerning relations between Serbia and Albania, Merkel said that the Albanian prime minister’s visiting Serbia after such a long time was a sign of hope.
She said that Albania and Serbia were working very actively to accomplish objectives of the Conference of Western Balkan States, held late in August last year.
When it comes to European integration, Merkel said that all Western Balkan countries had been given credible EU accession perspectives.
We believe that it is the only way to resolve the conflicts between these countries. And, despite all the difficulties still facing us, there has been progress, said Merkel, who will also visit Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina during her Balkan tour.