BELGRADE
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicijus met Thursday with Serbia’s top officials in capital Belgrade, expressing his country's support for the opening of the formal accession negotiations with the EU.
Likevicijus, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency until the end of this year, met with Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, Parliament Speaker Nebojsa Stefanovic, and Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic.
After the meeting with Serbian counterpart, Linkevicijus said that purpose of his visit was to express support for Serbia’s road to the EU.
"Our task will be to ease the efforts between Serbia and the EU to cooperate," Linkevicijus told reporters in Belgrade, emphasizing that there were many issues that needs to be straighten between Lithuania and Serbia.
Last month, the EU leaders agreed to open accession talks with Serbia in January 2014, at the latest. The talks were delayed because of the dispute over Kosovo, a former Serbian province, and its recognition.
The two countries in April this year struck a normalization deal with the EU mediation. Serbia was identified as a potential candidate for the EU membership in 2003.
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