EU foreign ministers recommend EU candidate status for Serbia

EU foreign ministers are recommending that Serbia be allowed to become an official candidate for membership in the 27-nation bloc after Serbia reached a key agreement with its former province of Kosovo, the national broadcaster RTS reports.

A final decision on granting such status to Belgrade is still required, but is now expected to come at an EU summit on March 1-2.

Nicolai Wammen, minister of European affairs for Denmark, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said Serbia had fulfilled the conditions demanded by the bloc.

- It will be no secret to anyone that the negotiations have been both difficult and tough -Wammen said.

- I'm pleased that we have been able to recommend candidate status for Serbia. Today, we have examined and confirmed that Serbia has lived up to the criteria set out in the European Council conclusions in December - he added.

Candidate status would put Serbia on the path to formal accession negotiations with the EU -- although that process could last years.

- Serbian membership of the EU will not be for tomorrow; there will be plenty of hard work ahead for Serbia - Wammen noted.

- During my recent visit to Belgrade, I was impressed by the determination of President Tadic and his government to succeed in this European endeavor - he stressed.