Wilhelm: Kosovo's UN membership topic of dialogue
German Ambassador to Serbia Heinz Wilhelm has said that Germany and the whole of the EU expects normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina before Serbia makes its next step towards Brussels and that Kosovo's membership in the UN is an issue that needs to be put on the table in Brussels.
(kosovocompromisestuff) Thursday, January 24, 2013
Serbia is a key country in the Western Balkans and should become part of the European family of nations as soon as possible, Wilhelm said.
There are many issues that both sides need to address in order to raise the talks to a satisfactory level, said Wilhelm. Right now, it is very important to find a solution for the parallel structures in northern Kosovo, he added in an interview he gave Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti.
It is simply no longer possible for the structures to continue to function in their present form, stressed Wilhelm.
In addition to the withdrawal of parallel institutions, it is important for Serbia to stop preventing Kosovo from becoming a member in a number of European and international institutions, he said.
Asked if Serbia would be sought to give its consent for Kosovo's membership in the UN to obtain a date for the start of negotiations on Serbia's EU membership, the German ambassador said that it was difficult to say anything about that at the moment.
It will all depend on an agreement that will be reached between all 27 EU member states in the European Council, he said.
Wilhelm could not support the frequently voiced opinions that the progress in resolving the Kosovo issue made to date was sufficient for the EU heads of state and government to give Serbia a date for the start of accession negotiations in March.
We want Serbia to become a member of the EU as soon as possible, but we cannot allow any country entering the EU to import its own problems with it, said Wilhelm.
I therefore hope that the political dialogue, which started in October, will continue to produce results needed for a positive decision by the European Council, he added.
He said that EU members would wait for the European Commission's and European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton's report on the progress in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to consider it and then make a final decision.
I think that no special criteria would be crucial, but rather the impression created by the whole picture, added the German ambassador.
Wilhelm said that Germany had recognized Kosovo as an independent state and would like to see the relations between Belgrade and Pristina elevate to that level. But Serbia has not recognized Kosovo, he stressed.
We find the agreement on the exchange of liaison officers who will work at the EU missions in Belgrade and Pristina satisfactory, Wilhelm said. This is one of the positive achievements, but again, there are still many important issues to be addressed, he added.
There are many issues that both sides need to address in order to raise the talks to a satisfactory level, said Wilhelm. Right now, it is very important to find a solution for the parallel structures in northern Kosovo, he added in an interview he gave Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti.
It is simply no longer possible for the structures to continue to function in their present form, stressed Wilhelm.
In addition to the withdrawal of parallel institutions, it is important for Serbia to stop preventing Kosovo from becoming a member in a number of European and international institutions, he said.
Asked if Serbia would be sought to give its consent for Kosovo's membership in the UN to obtain a date for the start of negotiations on Serbia's EU membership, the German ambassador said that it was difficult to say anything about that at the moment.
It will all depend on an agreement that will be reached between all 27 EU member states in the European Council, he said.
Wilhelm could not support the frequently voiced opinions that the progress in resolving the Kosovo issue made to date was sufficient for the EU heads of state and government to give Serbia a date for the start of accession negotiations in March.
We want Serbia to become a member of the EU as soon as possible, but we cannot allow any country entering the EU to import its own problems with it, said Wilhelm.
I therefore hope that the political dialogue, which started in October, will continue to produce results needed for a positive decision by the European Council, he added.
He said that EU members would wait for the European Commission's and European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton's report on the progress in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to consider it and then make a final decision.
I think that no special criteria would be crucial, but rather the impression created by the whole picture, added the German ambassador.
Wilhelm said that Germany had recognized Kosovo as an independent state and would like to see the relations between Belgrade and Pristina elevate to that level. But Serbia has not recognized Kosovo, he stressed.
We find the agreement on the exchange of liaison officers who will work at the EU missions in Belgrade and Pristina satisfactory, Wilhelm said. This is one of the positive achievements, but again, there are still many important issues to be addressed, he added.
