Germany says that Serbia must recognize Kosovo for EU accession

At the end of its EU accession talks, Serbia will have to recognize Kosovo – otherwise German MPs will not approve its accession to the organization.

This was heard today from a delegation of visiting German MPs, who held an informal conversation with reporters and editors of Belgrade-based media.

Members of the German parliament delegation explained that while a demand for Serbia to recognize its southern province “would not jeopardize the start of EU accession talks” – at their end, “a factual recognition of Kosovo must be on the table, and if that fails to be the case, the German parliament will not support Serbia’s EU membership”.

The membership negotiations can start and end without a de iure recognition of Kosovo by Serbia, they continued, “but some solutions that will mean a de facto recognition must be accepted”.

The German MPs clarified that these solutions would include Kosovo’s membership in the United Nations and international organizations, and that this is something that Serbia “will have to fulfill before concluding EU talks”.