Borrell: Close Ties to Putin Regime No Longer Compatible with EU Integration

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell (Beta/Milos Miskov)

European Union High Representative Josep Borrell said in Brussels, on May 16, that Serbia should join EU sanctions against Russia as soon as possible and that maintaining close ties with the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin was no longer compatible with EU integration.

After a working lunch of EU and West Balkan foreign ministers, taking place during a two-day session of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Borrell said the EU understood the difficulty and greatly appreciated voting against Russia in the U.N. General Assembly, but that a candidate member and partner was expected to align with the EU's foreign policy in full.

Borrell said that it was clear to him and many of his colleagues at the Council that maintaining close ties with the Putin regime was no longer compatible with the building of a shared future with the EU.

Borrell said the foreign ministers had also discussed the Belgrade-Pristina dialog and voiced the hope that a new meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Premier Albin Kurti would take place "before summer."

EU ministers have voiced the conviction that all earlier agreements made in the dialog should be executed. Although both Serbia and Kosovo express commitment to the dialog, when they sit down together, there is no progress. Trust needs to be built, the EU high representative said.

Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic said at the session of the EU Foreign Affairs Council that Serbia was consistent in its advocacy of peaceful diplomatic means in resolving conflict and disputes, and would "maintain that position," the Serbian Foreign Ministry said in a press release.