Decision on Serbia at EU summit on Friday

LUXEMBOURG Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Tuesday the decision on whether to start the accession talks with Serbia will be made on Friday. This will be at the summit of the heads of state and prime ministers of EU members. Decision on Serbia at EU summit on Friday "Expect no conclusions on Tuesday," he told reporters after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. The final decision will be made by the EU members' heads of state and prime ministers at the end of the week, he stressed. Belgrade and Pristina reached a historic agreement on April 19, he noted, welcoming the efforts by both sides. The implementation of the agreement is going according to plan, he said, adding he would go straight to the German parliament from Luxembourg to inform the members about the meeting on Tuesday. Germany thinks the talks with Serbia should not start before January 2014, he pointed out. This means that the foreign ministers were not able to agree on Tuesday and left the decisions up to the heads of state and prime ministers, who will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, an official of the European Council who insisted on remaining anonymous told Tanjug. The atmosphere was very positive, and everyone said incredible progress had been achieved in the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, but the decision was not made, he stated. Most of the ministers wanted the negotiations with Serbia to start as soon as possible, but the decisions by the ministerial council are made unanimously, the official explained. The ministers will continue the meeting on Tuesday without Westerwelle, who will be replaced by the German ambassador to the EU. They will afterwards create a recommendation for the start of the talks, but that does not have the same political weight as conclusions. Westerwelle and Catherine Ashton (Tanjug) Tanjug

Decision on Serbia at EU summit on Friday

"Expect no conclusions on Tuesday," he told reporters after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

The final decision will be made by the EU members' heads of state and prime ministers at the end of the week, he stressed.

Belgrade and Priština reached a historic agreement on April 19, he noted, welcoming the efforts by both sides.

The implementation of the agreement is going according to plan, he said, adding he would go straight to the German parliament from Luxembourg to inform the members about the meeting on Tuesday.

Germany thinks the talks with Serbia should not start before January 2014, he pointed out.

This means that the foreign ministers were not able to agree on Tuesday and left the decisions up to the heads of state and prime ministers, who will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, an official of the European Council who insisted on remaining anonymous told Tanjug.

The atmosphere was very positive, and everyone said incredible progress had been achieved in the relations between Belgrade and Priština, but the decision was not made, he stated.

Most of the ministers wanted the negotiations with Serbia to start as soon as possible, but the decisions by the ministerial council are made unanimously, the official explained.

The ministers will continue the meeting on Tuesday without Westerwelle, who will be replaced by the German ambassador to the EU. They will afterwards create a recommendation for the start of the talks, but that does not have the same political weight as conclusions.