German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a visit to the Balkans said that the accession of Serbia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo to the European Union is impossible without the mutual recognition of Belgrade and Pristina. Today, the German Chancellor is visiting the Western Balkans, beginning his tour in self-proclaimed Kosovo. After a meeting with Prime Minister Albin Kurti Schulz, he pointed out that the “government” of Kosovo, by imposing sanctions on the Russian Federation, showed that it “stands with us in the international community”, and touched upon the issue of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

Kosovo Radio and Television quoted the German Chancellor as saying: “Kosovo and Serbia must come to a comprehensive agreement, and the European Union Special Representative for Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak has our full support in this matter… It is clear that the Agreement must resolve the issue recognition between Kosovo (self-proclaimed) and Serbia, because two countries cannot become part of the European Union without recognizing each other.” This is what Schultz is expected to arrive on Friday afternoon in Belgrade, where he is scheduled to meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.