Merkel: The Kosovo issue must be closed before Serbia enters the EU

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today in Belgrade that the Kosovo issue must be closed before Serbia enters the European Union (EU), but that all other open issues in the process of European integration should be resolved before that.

Asked if recognition of Kosovo is a condition for Serbia's EU membership, Merkel said at a joint press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić that "some issues will be resolved at the end of the process" of Serbia's European integration.

"That (Kosovo) issue must be resolved in order for the member states of the Union to answer affirmatively about (Serbia's) accession to the EU. But it makes no sense to talk about the end of that process before other problems are resolved. I am for a pragmatic approach, that issue will not disappear, it must be resolved, but I am for a road map, where all other issues are resolved first," said Merkel.

She stated that the EU must have "a lot of understanding for the conflicts that need to be overcome" and pointed out that Germany also needed "a long time when it comes to unity and recognition of borders and similar issues".

Merkel also stated that Serbia has achieved a number of results in reforms, but that it and the entire region still have a long way to go to EU membership.

At a joint press conference with Vučić, after the meeting, Merkel said that she was "glad to hear that Serbia is intensively engaged in judicial reforms".

"I know that the perception is that the process of European integration is slow and that the European side is making new demands, but we are seeing a series of results and we are seeing progress. It is being watched carefully that the same conditions are being set for all the countries of the Western Balkans," Merkel said.

She stated that the EU has a "great geostrategic interest" in all Western Balkan countries being admitted to the EU and indicated the possibility of "influence from other areas" if the Union does not act quickly enough in some situations.

She encouraged Serbia "to go further towards a legal state, towards a plural society" and added that "economic successes should be an indicator that EU membership is a worthwhile goal".

Merkel said that Serbia and Germany are "closely connected" and added that economic and cultural relations "have been established for a long time".

She stated that during the years of cooperation with Vučić, she established a "relationship of complete trust" with him.

"Our relations are characterized by honesty in conversations and the ability to listen to the other side. I met Vučić as a person who does not make false promises but always tries to implement what he promised," said the German chancellor.