Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic held out the prospect of a compromise with Kosovo during a visit to Berlin on Wednesday, in a move that could help pave the way for the two West Balkan states to join the European Union, reports MIA.
Vucic said he would do everything in his power to reach a compromise, in comments on Wednesday evening following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Scholz promised his support and encouraged Serbia to pursue reforms chiefly in rule of law, press freedom and combatting organized crime.
Vucic was also due to join direct talks with Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who spoke with Scholz earlier. Scholz stressed that progress on this issue was of “enormous importance” for both countries’ aspirations to join the European Union. “All open questions must be clarified in this dialogue,” Scholz said.
Scholz also promised to support Serbia’s EU membership aspirations, echoing his earlier signal of support for Kosovo’s possible EU membership in the future.
“The Western Balkans belong in Europe,” Scholz said after talks with Kurti. He added, however, that an agreement between Kosovo and neighbouring Serbia was necessary for progress. Kosovo, which is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Albanians, broke away from Serbia in 1999 and declared independence in 2008. Serbia has not recognized Kosovo’s independence and continues to lay claim to the territory. Most EU countries recognize Kosovo as a separate state.
For his part, Kurti emphasized progress in the rule of law in Kosovo and the fight against corruption. He called on the EU to make the visa system easier for Kosovans. Against the background of the Ukraine war, Kurti stressed that for his country there was no alternative to the EU and NATO. Without giving details, he referred to the influence of the Kremlin in the region, describing aspects of it as a threat to peace and security.
Moscow is also suspected of fuelling unresolved conflicts in the region, undermining the prospects for Balkan countries to join the EU. Fears of growing tensions in the Western Balkans due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine are partly behind the German government’s attempt to promote support for Europe there.
However there are differences on the issue of the war between the Balkan leaders and Germany.
While Serbia condemned the invasion of Ukraine in the UN General Assembly, the government has refused to join economic sanctions on Russia. Vucic has pointed out that Serbia also faced a decade of sanctions.
