"No new conditions for EU accession talks date"

European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin said that the EP backs Serbia's bid to join the bloc, since that would benefit the entire region. The Slovenian politician also asserted in his interview for Radio Free Europe that the EU "will attach no condition to the date for commencement of accession talks". "No new conditions for EU accession talks date" "There will be no conditions. I think that the EU will wait to see results of the coming general elections in Serbia. We would not like that to be a pre-election topic," Kacin said. "The fact is that Montenegro will open chapters 23 and 24, as the first chapters in negotiations with the EU in July this year. Serbia will be faced with a major challenge, since it will have to decide whether it will be able to speed up or it will stand still," the EP rapporteur added. According to Kacin, the agreement on Kosovo' regional representation without prejudice to positions on status, and its implementation represent a key condition "that would drastically improve the political atmosphere in the region and facilitate progress in all other domains". Jelko Kacin (Tanjug, file) Tanjug RFE/RL

"No new conditions for EU accession talks date"

"There will be no conditions. I think that the EU will wait to see results of the coming general elections in Serbia. We would not like that to be a pre-election topic," Kacin said.

"The fact is that Montenegro will open chapters 23 and 24, as the first chapters in negotiations with the EU in July this year. Serbia will be faced with a major challenge, since it will have to decide whether it will be able to speed up or it will stand still," the EP rapporteur added.

According to Kacin, the agreement on Kosovo' regional representation without prejudice to positions on status, and its implementation represent a key condition "that would drastically improve the political atmosphere in the region and facilitate progress in all other domains".