"No new conditions for Serbia" - German FM

"No new conditions for Serbia" - German FM

Dacic for his part said that he and his German counterpart "discussed the best way to open the first chapter as soon as possible, so that Serbia could move forward in the negotiation process."

Steinmeier added that Germany would work on the opening of Serbia's EU membership negotiations chapters "as soon as possible, during this year."

Asked what the required "compromise" between Belgrade and Pristina meant in this context, Steinmeier said that neither side disputed that "normalization of relations is an integral part of the common tasks."

"Both sides are in contact and normalization is an integral part of what needs to be done to progress towards the European Union. But this is nothing new, it has been a prerequisite from before."

He said that relations between Serbia and Germany have been "visibly improved" in recent years, especially in the economic field, "which is a positive step and a good sign."

German companies which have already invested in Serbia are satisfied and do not regret arriving here, said the German minister.

"Relations are getting better, confidence has grown and I was happy that the Serbian public opinion is based on that," Steinmeier was quoted as saying, and adding that with a conference dedicated to the Western Balkans in Berlin last year, his country "showed its interest in the region."

Dacic singled out "two important things Steinmeier has said" - that "our relations have never been so good, and that Germany will, taking into account what Serbia has done so far, make decisions concerning the further EU integration process of Serbia."

According to Dacic, "the situation was not such even recently." He added that he "attended the meeting of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Serbian President Boris Tadic in Belgrade," and described it as "one of the most unpleasant meetings he attended, and an indicator of the great differences between the Serbian leadership and the German policy."

"Today the situation is very different," Dacic said.

He recalled that "in the political sense trust and partnership have been built in the past period."

Germany is, added Dacic, "Serbia's most important economic partner with the volume of trade of EUR 3.78 billion and one of the biggest investors in Serbia since 2000."

"It is also the biggest donor," Dacic said, and mentioned "as an example that a billion euros have been secured through five donations.".

He also "expressed gratitude to Steinmeier because Germany has promoted the Western Balkans, whose strategic goal is joining the EU and presentation of regional projects as common projects."

Steinmeier arrived in Belgrade on Tuesday.

After the bilateral meeting, Dacic, as OSCE chairperson-in-office, hosted a meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Troika. Steinmeier and Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter both participated.

During the day, the German minister will meet with Serbia's president and prime minister.

Ahead of his visit to Belgrade, Steinmeier said that Germany "remains a sincere and reliable partner for Serbia's path towards the EU."