Sebastian Kurz

BELGRADE - Austrian FM Sebastian Kurz, who is also the OSCE chairperson-in-office, said in Belgrade Monday all agreements from the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina should also be implemented.

Speaking at a press conference after a meeting wtih Serbian PM Aleksandar Vucic, Kurz said it was clear all agreements must be implemented.

Kurz: Ties with Belgrade good

VIENNA - The Belgrade-Pristina dialogue should be continued constructively as that can help to convince sceptical EU member states that further steps need to be taken on Serbia's EU path, says Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, who will pay an official visit to Serbia on Monday.

Serbia "showed its humane face during the migrant crisis," PM Aleksandar Vucic told a news conference with Austrian FM Sebastian Kurz in Belgrade on Monday.

However, he underlined that the country, while accepting them, will do everything to keep itself from becoming a "parking lot" for refugees and illegal migrants.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic met on Friday with EU Enlargement Negotiations and Neighborhood Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

Vucic's meetings in Davos for the day also included that with Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz.

Austria's foreign minister Sebastian Kurz has blocked the joint statement of the Council of the European Union for continuing the negotiations on the accession of Turkey to the organisation.

The EU will not open new chapters in the negotiations with Turkey for membership in the EU, announced Vienna.

The European Union on Dec. 13 wrestled with a rift over Turkey's EU membership bid after Austria led calls for the accession process to be halted over Ankara's post-coup crackdown.

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry has downplayed commens by Austrian top diplomat Sebastian Kurz, who earlier argued Sofia sided with Vienna on the need to freeze membership talks with Turkey.

European Union foreign ministers on Nov. 14 criticized Turkey's crackdown on alleged supporters of a failed military coup in July, but Austria's call to suspend Ankara's EU membership bid failed to garner enough backing. 

VIENNA- Austria will continue to support Serbia's EU path, and we hope new negotiation chapters will be opened by the end of this year - Serbia and Austria are friends, but also important partners, said Austrian FM Sebastian Kurz Wednesday.

Kurz was meeting with Serbian FM Ivica Dacic in Vienna.

The Council of Europe warned Turkey against re-establishing the death penalty on Oct. 30. 

"Executing the death penalty is incompatible with membership of the Council of Europe," the 47-member organization, which includes Turkey, tweeted a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said his government would ask parliament to consider reintroduction.