Accession talks “should be conditioned with Kosovo”

European Parliament Rapporteur for Kosovo Ulrike Lunacek believes Serbia's date for accession talks must be conditioned with progress in relations with Kosovo. “European Commissioner Stefan Fule is quite clear on that. I hope that Vienna will also impose increased pressure on Serbia, and make it clear that without marked improvement in relations with Kosovo, there would be no date for start of the EU accession talks,” Lunacek wrote in an article published in Vienna-based daily Die Presse. Accession talks “should be conditioned with Kosovo” She noted that the compromise, into which Belgrade was forced, showed that the EU Council did the right thing when it decided to postpone the decision on Serbia's candidate status from December last year to its spring summit. She is of the opinion that five countries which have not yet recognized Kosovo's independence had to be forced to normalize their relations with Kosovo. “Austria, together with 21 member states which have recognized Kosovo's independence, must impose greater pressure on Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, Romania and Spain,” Lunacek underlined. The EP rapporteur for Kosovo said that Kosovo's nameplate in regional meetings that included the word “Kosovo” and an asterisk followed by the footnote, which was agreed during the latest round of talks between Belgrade and Pristina, represented a light at the end of the tunnel. “The footnote has recently paved the way for Serbia's candidate status, and a stabilization and association agreement (SAA) feasibility study for Kosovo as its first step in the EU integration process,” she was quoted as saying. Tanjug

Accession talks “should be conditioned with Kosovo”

She noted that the compromise, into which Belgrade was forced, showed that the EU Council did the right thing when it decided to postpone the decision on Serbia's candidate status from December last year to its spring summit.

She is of the opinion that five countries which have not yet recognized Kosovo's independence had to be forced to normalize their relations with Kosovo.

“Austria, together with 21 member states which have recognized Kosovo's independence, must impose greater pressure on Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, Romania and Spain,” Lunacek underlined.

The EP rapporteur for Kosovo said that Kosovo's nameplate in regional meetings that included the word “Kosovo” and an asterisk followed by the footnote, which was agreed during the latest round of talks between Belgrade and Priština, represented a light at the end of the tunnel.

“The footnote has recently paved the way for Serbia's candidate status, and a stabilization and association agreement (SAA) feasibility study for Kosovo as its first step in the EU integration process,” she was quoted as saying.