"EU did not ask Serbia to recognize Kosovo"

The EU has not asked Serbia to recognize Kosovo in order to get the EU candidate status, European Parliament (EP) Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin claims. “The European Parliament does not have any information that the European Commission has requested Serbia to recognize Kosovo. I stand behind this statement” he told Radio Free Europe. "EU did not ask Serbia to recognize Kosovo" “Not a single other EU member state can unilaterally request something like that from Serbia,” Kacin added. He believes that “Interior Minister Ivica Dacic and President Boris Tadic’s statements that recognition of Kosovo is a condition for obtaining of the candidate status were said for internal political needs in the election campaign”. “The only thing that is being asked from Serbia is to allow free movement of people, goods and services, ideas and capital, which is the basic EU principle,” the EP rapporteur stressed. “Barricades and roadblocks cannot be the answer to the challenges awaiting Serbia by March 2012, when the Council will reconsider the granting of the EU candidate status to Serbia,” he concluded. Dacic said on Tuesday that Serbia would not make any significant progress in March because recognition of Kosovo’s independence was a condition for obtaining of the EU candidate status. The Serbian president also stated that Serbia had been asked to recognize Kosovo. Jelko Kacin (Tanjug, file)

"EU did not ask Serbia to recognize Kosovo"

“Not a single other EU member state can unilaterally request something like that from Serbia,” Kacin added.

He believes that “Interior Minister Ivica Dačić and President Boris Tadić’s statements that recognition of Kosovo is a condition for obtaining of the candidate status were said for internal political needs in the election campaign”.

“The only thing that is being asked from Serbia is to allow free movement of people, goods and services, ideas and capital, which is the basic EU principle,” the EP rapporteur stressed.

“Barricades and roadblocks cannot be the answer to the challenges awaiting Serbia by March 2012, when the Council will reconsider the granting of the EU candidate status to Serbia,” he concluded.

Dačić said on Tuesday that Serbia would not make any significant progress in March because recognition of Kosovo’s independence was a condition for obtaining of the EU candidate status. The Serbian president also stated that Serbia had been asked to recognize Kosovo.