Germany’s support to Serbia still uncertain

BELGRADE, BERLIN German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle will visit Belgrade on Monday and meet with the Serbian president, prime minister and foreign minister. The German Foreign Ministry has stated that Westerwelle will meet with President Tomislav Nikolic, Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and his Serbian counterpart Ivan Mrkic. Germany’s support to Serbia still uncertain The German minister will visit Serbia only a day before a meeting between Dacic and Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci in Brussels. Westerwelle should discuss further steps in the implementation of the Brussels agreement between Belgrade and Pristina with the top Serbian state officials. The German Foreign Ministry’s representative pointed out that the German government was “very interested” in the situation regarding the implementation of the Belgrade- Pristina agreement and pointed out Westerwelle’s intention to “learn about the latest developments on the spot”. A Beta correspondent has learned from well-informed sources in the ruling German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party that the same topic was on the agenda of the party’s parliamentary group this week in Bundestag. It is so far uncertain whether the MPs of the conservative ruling party will in the end of June back a decision to grant Serbia a date for the start of the EU accession talks. CDU’s foreign policy expert Andreas Schockenhoff’s recommendation to discuss the issue only after the agreement on the implementation of the Brussels agreement is reached was adopted at this week’s meeting of the presidency of the parliamentary group. The CDU MPs will discuss a possible date for the beginning of Serbia's EU accession negotiations on June 4 and June 25. According to Beta, Schockenhoff will visit Pristina, Kosovska Mitrovica and Belgrade on June 19-20 in order to “determine the facts” and he would inform his colleagues about results of the visit afterward. Beta’s sources said that the German MPs were in a “very critical mood” regarding the date for the beginning of the EU accession talks. This means that before June 27, when Bundestag will vote on the issue, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s stance will be crucial for the final decision. Guido Westerwelle (Beta, file) Beta Tanjug

Germany’s support to Serbia still uncertain

The German minister will visit Serbia only a day before a meeting between Dačić and Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci in Brussels.

Westerwelle should discuss further steps in the implementation of the Brussels agreement between Belgrade and Priština with the top Serbian state officials.

The German Foreign Ministry’s representative pointed out that the German government was “very interested” in the situation regarding the implementation of the Belgrade- Priština agreement and pointed out Westerwelle’s intention to “learn about the latest developments on the spot”.

A Beta correspondent has learned from well-informed sources in the ruling German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party that the same topic was on the agenda of the party’s parliamentary group this week in Bundestag.

It is so far uncertain whether the MPs of the conservative ruling party will in the end of June back a decision to grant Serbia a date for the start of the EU accession talks.

CDU’s foreign policy expert Andreas Schockenhoff’s recommendation to discuss the issue only after the agreement on the implementation of the Brussels agreement is reached was adopted at this week’s meeting of the presidency of the parliamentary group.

The CDU MPs will discuss a possible date for the beginning of Serbia's EU accession negotiations on June 4 and June 25.

According to Beta, Schockenhoff will visit Priština, Kosovska Mitrovica and Belgrade on June 19-20 in order to “determine the facts” and he would inform his colleagues about results of the visit afterward.

Beta’s sources said that the German MPs were in a “very critical mood” regarding the date for the beginning of the EU accession talks.

This means that before June 27, when Bundestag will vote on the issue, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s stance will be crucial for the final decision.