Wilhelm: Date does not depend only on Germany
Germany is not pressuring either Belgrade or Pristina to reach an agreement, and the decision on Serbia's date for the EU membership talks does not depend solely on Germany, given that all decisions are made by a consensus in the EU, German Ambassador to Serbia Heinz Wilhelm has said.
(kosovocompromisestuff) Friday, March 15, 2013
The decision will actually depend on the results of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Wilhelm said for the Belgrade-based daily Kurir.
When it comes to Germany, the final decision on Serbia's date for the beginning of the EU accession talks will be made by the Bundestag, Wilhelm stressed, adding that he really likes Serbia, where he has been living for a few months now.
The German ambassador said that the talks between Belgrade and Pristina concern two sides, while EU High Representative Catherine Ashton is the mediator, who helps in the search for an adequate solution. Germany is not exerting any pressure on anyone, Wilhelm said.
Answering the questions about Germany's importance in deciding on the date for the beginning of the EU accession talks with Serbia, he said that Germany is strong and it has a special importance, but that everything needs a consensus of the EU members.
All countries make decisions independently, and a delegation of Germany's ruling party Christian Democratic Union (CDU) will visit Serbia on March 18 and 19 in order to check what Serbia has done, so that the Bundestag could later make the right decision.
