N. Kosovo issue “cannot be postponed forever”

British Foreign Office Minister for Europe David Lidington said late Tuesday that the Belgrade-Pristina dialog was very important for Serbia's EU integration. He added that dealing with the problem of northern Kosovo could not be postponed indefinitely. N. Kosovo issue “cannot be postponed forever” “Continued dialogue and its further development are absolute priorities,” Lidington told the Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS), stressing that the dialogue should resume as soon as possible. “I want the United Kingdom to be in a position to enthusiastically support Serbia in getting the candidate status for EU membership, but that depends on how Serbia will respond to the opinion of the European Commission (EC),” he stressed. When asked whether there would be any need to recognize the independence of Kosovo if Serbia wanted to go any further on its road to the EU, the British minister said that the EC's opinion made it clear that the issue of relations with neighbors was absolutely essential. He added that the European Commission had called on Belgrade to commit itself seriously to the dialogue with Pristina and to implement a number of agreements reached during the previous rounds of the dialogue, stressing that it should do so urgently, before December. Lidington pointed out that he did not think that dealing with the issue of northern Kosovo was something that could be delayed forever, adding that the people from the region should understand they would in fact benefit from European integration. “The dialog should be further developed in a way that will tackle the many important issues such as telecommunications and electric power supply, as those are the things that will help improve the everyday life of citizens living in and around Kosovska Mitrovica,” he said. Lidington also explained that a priority at this time was to proceed with the practical measures referred to in the opinion of the EC.

N. Kosovo issue “cannot be postponed forever”

“Continued dialogue and its further development are absolute priorities,” Lidington told the Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS), stressing that the dialogue should resume as soon as possible.

“I want the United Kingdom to be in a position to enthusiastically support Serbia in getting the candidate status for EU membership, but that depends on how Serbia will respond to the opinion of the European Commission (EC),” he stressed.

When asked whether there would be any need to recognize the independence of Kosovo if Serbia wanted to go any further on its road to the EU, the British minister said that the EC's opinion made it clear that the issue of relations with neighbors was absolutely essential.

He added that the European Commission had called on Belgrade to commit itself seriously to the dialogue with Priština and to implement a number of agreements reached during the previous rounds of the dialogue, stressing that it should do so urgently, before December.

Lidington pointed out that he did not think that dealing with the issue of northern Kosovo was something that could be delayed forever, adding that the people from the region should understand they would in fact benefit from European integration.

“The dialog should be further developed in a way that will tackle the many important issues such as telecommunications and electric power supply, as those are the things that will help improve the everyday life of citizens living in and around Kosovska Mitrovica,” he said.

Lidington also explained that a priority at this time was to proceed with the practical measures referred to in the opinion of the EC.