Borrell Serbia: Maintaining ties with Russia is not in line with road to EU

He has spoken in Brussels after the bloc's ministers' meeting, where he also called for full and swift implementation of the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, which according to him is the only way towards normalisation.

Borrell has said that at the meeting they discussed Russia's influence, which is trying to divert the European path of Western Balkan candidate countries. Borrell-Serbia: Maintaining close ties with Russia is not in line with EU membership process

“We welcome the strategic elections of some of them, who are fully in line with our foreign policy and sanctions, and we also showed those who are not fully lined up or not listed at all, and I want to mention Serbia, that maintaining close ties with Russia is not in line with its membership process in the European Union”, Borrell has said.

While talking about the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, he has said tensions and provocations should end.

The specifically mentioned Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, once again I have to clarify that being a member of the European Union is an exercise of co-operation, is the exercise of states that have fought in the past, to become not only neighbours, but also friends and partners. This is an exercise of living together, and for this, full and swift implementation of the agreement is the only way for normalising relations between Belgrade and Pristina. Bilateral tensions and provocations must end. And the negative atmosphere and lack of constructiveity should also stop. Being a member of the European Union means being able to cooperate and act as a good neighbour, overcoming all the difficulties of the past”, he has said.