Steinmeier: We will work on opening chapters promptly

BELGRADE - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Tuesday that no one in Europe, not even Berlin, has changed requirements for Serbia or set any new ones, and added that Germany will work with Serbian authorities on opening negotiation chapters as soon as possible.

We should not hold debates on who is to blame, as no one has changed conditions for Serbia or introduced new ones, not even Germany. That's nonsense, Steinmeier told a joint press conference with Dacic and his Swiss counterpart Didier Burkhalter.

He also said that Germany will work on opening the chapters as soon as possible, meaning this year.

Asked what in this context means that compromise is requested of Belgrade and Pristina, he said it is not debatable that normalization of relations is an integral part of the common tasks.

Both parties are in contact and normalization is the integral part of what needs to be done in order to make progress towards the European Union. But, this is nothing new, it has already been a precondition before, Steinmeier pointed out.

Photo Tanjug, D. Stankovic