German ambassador: No new conditions for Serbia

There are no new conditions for Serbia on its EU path, German Ambassador to Serbia Wolfram Maas stated ahead of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit. “It is not like Germany is making up new conditions every month,” Maas told Tanjug when asked what kind of message Merkel would bring to Belgrade. German ambassador: No new conditions for Serbia “The conditions for the EU membership are laid down in the Copenhagen Criteria written in 1995, and everything we are asking from an applicant country including Serbia is derived from these criteria,” the ambassador noted. Commenting Serbia's chances to get the candidate status and the date for the beginning of the membership talks by the end of the year, Maas underlined that this was a technically possible but ambitious goal. “Everything in relation to Kosovo can be subsumed under the point that we expect from a new member preparedness and readiness for regional cooperation and good neighborly relations. Good neighborly relationship mean that you are prepared and able to solve all pending issues which impact on citizens' everyday life in a peaceful and constructive manner,” he underscored. Maas recalled that Germany's position in view of Kosovo was well-known. As far as Kosovo is concerned, our position is well-known. We have recognized Kosovo as an independent state. We are not pushing Serbia to do the same, but we expect that Serbia will find a solution to the Kosovo issue and we believe that that can best be accomplished if the two sides talk together like in the dialogue which is facilitated by the EU,” the German ambassador concluded. Wolfram Maas (FoNet, file)

German ambassador: No new conditions for Serbia

“The conditions for the EU membership are laid down in the Copenhagen Criteria written in 1995, and everything we are asking from an applicant country including Serbia is derived from these criteria,” the ambassador noted.

Commenting Serbia's chances to get the candidate status and the date for the beginning of the membership talks by the end of the year, Maas underlined that this was a technically possible but ambitious goal.

“Everything in relation to Kosovo can be subsumed under the point that we expect from a new member preparedness and readiness for regional cooperation and good neighborly relations. Good neighborly relationship mean that you are prepared and able to solve all pending issues which impact on citizens' everyday life in a peaceful and constructive manner,” he underscored.

Maas recalled that Germany's position in view of Kosovo was well-known.

As far as Kosovo is concerned, our position is well-known. We have recognized Kosovo as an independent state. We are not pushing Serbia to do the same, but we expect that Serbia will find a solution to the Kosovo issue and we believe that that can best be accomplished if the two sides talk together like in the dialogue which is facilitated by the EU,” the German ambassador concluded.