Germany "not asking for recognition of Kosovo"

Germany "not asking for recognition of Kosovo"

BELGRADE -- Germany is not requesting Serbia to recognize Kosovo to be able to start its EU accession talks, says German Ambassador to Serbia Heinz Wilhelm.

Asked whether "full normalization of relations", often mentioned as the condition for the start of the EU talks, can be interpreted as a request for Serbia to recognize Kosovo, Wilhelm said that "no one has requested that from Serbia" and that, as far as he is aware, EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn has neither said nor requested anything of the kind.

"For Germany and the EU, the only condition for the start of Serbia-EU talks is full implementation of the Brussels Agreement - Chapter 35 will not be opened until the agreement is implemented in full, and there are no other conditions," Wilhelm told the daily Blic over the weekend.

"Full implementation primarily implies integrating the judiciary authorities in northern Kosovo into Kosovo's judicial system and establishing the community of Serb municipalities, " he ambassador explained.

Asked whether Serbia will eventually have to recognize Kosovo at the end of the negotiations, Wilhelm said that he can "only speak about the present, rather than about what will happen in the future."

"What is important today is the normalization of Serbia-Kosovo ties because the EU does not want to import a new conflict that exists between two countries," he was quoted as saying.

Wilhelm continued to say that "Germany's sole interest is a stable Balkans, which is impossible without good relations between Serbia and Kosovo, so it is important that the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue resumes as soon as possible."

"Germany does not believe that good...