BELGRADE, Serbia, June 22 (UPI) -- Members of the German Parliament say Serbia must recognize the independence of Kosovo or they will block Serbia's accession to the European Union.
While a demand for Serbia to recognize the independence of its southern province "would not jeopardize the start of EU accession talks," the MPs said in a visit to the Serbian capital, "a factual recognition of Kosovo must be on the table, and if that fails to be the case, the German parliament will not support Serbia's EU membership."
Kosovo's ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared independence in early 2008, a proclamation Serbia considers illegal.
Five of the EU's 27 member-states have refused to recognize Kosovo's independence.
Peter Beyer, head of the German delegation visiting Belgrade, said that Serbia is a key country in the Western Balkans and that "good relations between neighbors in the region are crucial," Serbian broadcaster B92 reported Wednesday.
