Kosovo and Serbia Cannot Become EU Members Without Recognizing Each Other, Scholz Says

Membership for Serbia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo in the European Union is not possible without mutual recognition between Belgrade and Pristina. This was stated by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his visit to the Balkans.

The German Chancellor began his trip to the Western Balkans on June 10, starting from the self-proclaimed Kosovo. After a meeting with "Prime Minister" Albin Kurti, Scholz announced that by imposing sanctions against Russia, the Kosovo "government" demonstrated that it is "standing alongside us in the international community" and then turned to the topic of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

"Kosovo and Serbia must reach a comprehensive agreement, and the EU's Special Representative Miroslav Lajčák has our full support in this matter... It is clear that the agreement must address the issue of the recognition of the self-proclaimed Kosovo and Serbia because neither country can become a part of the EU without recognizing each other," the German Chancellor's statement was quoted by Kosovo's radio and television.

In the second half of the day, Scholz is expected to arrive in Belgrade, where a meeting is planned with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, according to RIA Novosti.