EP official on Rama's statement, Russia

Source: Blic, Tanjug

BELGRADE -- EP official Eduard Kukan says that he "got nervous" when he "heard what Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said about the unification of Kosovo and Albania."

(Beta, file)

The chairman of the EP group for Serbia told the Belgrade-based tabloid Blic said that he "does not like" such declarations. Rama said last week that his country and Kosovo would unify either through membership in the EU, "or the classic way."
Kukan also said that "relations between Serbia and Russia do not directly affect membership negotiations between Belgrade with the EU," but that "all political decisions and behaviors do, as well as the general image of the country."

"It is not true that a year after a country becomes a candidate it all starts to happen, because everything must go through screenings, and it will happen soon. Your work will soon pay off," said Kukan, adding that he "hopes it will be this year."

He then pointed out that in the EP, there was "no written document which requires Serbia to recognize Kosovo."

Asked whether participation in the Victory Day parade in Moscow May 9 was "a problem for Serbia," Kukan said this was Serbia's decision, "and no one can tell you what to do."

"But, nobody from the EU is going there except the army of Serbia, it will surely will be mentioned somewhere or recorded by some member states," he said, adding that "serious consequences should not be expected."

Asked by the paper if Serbia "can be neutral" when it comes to the EU and Russia, Kukan said he personally thought that "today it is impossible to be neutral."

"I do not see the advantage of being someone's 'bridge', because when something happens, bridges are usually the first to suffer," said he.