"Slovakia could recognize if Serbia signs agreement"

Slovakia has always said it will recognize Kosovo once Belgrade and Priština sign an agreement to normalize their relations.

Izvor: Blic

Monday, 15.04.2013.

10:22

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BELGRADE Slovakia has always said it will recognize Kosovo once Belgrade and Pristina sign an agreement to normalize their relations. At the same time, Slovakia also that it will support Serbia strongly on its path towards EU membership, the country's former Prime Minister Iveta Radicova has stated. "Slovakia could recognize if Serbia signs agreement" She said the view of her government, which ran Slovakia until 2012, was that Slovakia would support Serbia by refusing to recognize Kosovo, since it wanted a solution acceptable to both sides, Radicova told the Belgrade-based daily Blic, Tanjug is reporting. Radicova noted she could not speak for the current government, but that she believed there was no reason for Slovakia "not to support both Serbia and Kosovo as two independent countries once their relations have normalized." Radicova does not think Serbia would be isolated in any way if it abandoned the talks with Pristina, but feels that the intensity of the accession talks would be lower and that they would take longer to complete. "There would be no direct economic consequences, apart from Serbia perhaps losing an opportunity to benefit from the advantages of EU integration, so it would not be a good decision to refuse an agreement with Pristina," she remarked. Slovakia's Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak has done a lot for the Western Balkans and is preparing to assist Serbia once the talks with the EU begin, she stressed. For Slovakia to be able to provide that assistance, a solution in the negotiations with Pristina is necessary, because the start of the talks with the EU depend on that, said Radicova, who now teaches at Oxford. Slovakia is one of five European Union member-states that do not recognize Kosovo. Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo more than five years ago unilaterally declared independence, but Serbia rejected the proclamation. The two sides have been involved in the EU-mediated, currently stalled, Brussels talks. Iveta Radicova (file) Blic Tanjug

"Slovakia could recognize if Serbia signs agreement"

She said the view of her government, which ran Slovakia until 2012, was that Slovakia would support Serbia by refusing to recognize Kosovo, since it wanted a solution acceptable to both sides, Radičova told the Belgrade-based daily Blic, Tanjug is reporting.

Radičova noted she could not speak for the current government, but that she believed there was no reason for Slovakia "not to support both Serbia and Kosovo as two independent countries once their relations have normalized."

Radičova does not think Serbia would be isolated in any way if it abandoned the talks with Priština, but feels that the intensity of the accession talks would be lower and that they would take longer to complete.

"There would be no direct economic consequences, apart from Serbia perhaps losing an opportunity to benefit from the advantages of EU integration, so it would not be a good decision to refuse an agreement with Priština," she remarked.

Slovakia's Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčak has done a lot for the Western Balkans and is preparing to assist Serbia once the talks with the EU begin, she stressed.

For Slovakia to be able to provide that assistance, a solution in the negotiations with Priština is necessary, because the start of the talks with the EU depend on that, said Radičova, who now teaches at Oxford.

Slovakia is one of five European Union member-states that do not recognize Kosovo. Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo more than five years ago unilaterally declared independence, but Serbia rejected the proclamation.

The two sides have been involved in the EU-mediated, currently stalled, Brussels talks.

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