Christofias: We have no intention to recognize Kosovo

"We will support Serbia's territorial integrity, even if we remain the last country in the country not to recognize Kosovo", Christofias said.

Christofias and Serbian President Borsi Tadic agreed that the definition of Kosovo's future status and Serbia's approaching the European Union were two separate processes.

They assessed that a lasting and stable solution to the problems in Kosovo could be reached only by way of compromise which both sides would find as satisfactory.

Tadic pointed out that Serbia was not blocking the participation of UNMIK-Kosovo in international processes, and that Belgrade found as acceptable Kosovo's participation in international forums provided that it was in keeping with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and that it did not violate the territorial integrity of Serbia.

"No one can set a condition to Serbia to recognize the unilateral and illegal proclamation of Kosovo independence in order to be admitted into the EU, since that would be in contradiction with the principles of the EU itself and the Copenhagen criteria", Tadic said, pointing out that Serbia would not give up on either of its strategic goals - EU membership and preservation of Kosovo within its borders.

The president of Cyprus, one of the five EU states that have not recognized Kosovo independence, underlined that his country had no intention of changing its position regarding that issue.

"The issue of Kosovo is a matter of law and the preservation of territorial integrity, and Serbia can require EU membership regardless of that problem", President Christofias said.