EU encourages Kosovo, Serbia dialogue

(PRISTINA) - The European Union on Thursday encouraged dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia even before a UN court gives its opinion on the legality of Kosovo's declaration of indepence.

"There are a number of the issues Kosovo and Serbia could work on already today, and it is only being encouraged by us," EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule told reporters here after meeting Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.

"I think we need to use every moment and every time we have even before the ICJ, you know, to reinforce the cooperation," he added referring to the International Court of Justice's review of Kosovo's declaration of independence in February 2008.

The independence is recognised by 65 countries, including the United States and most EU nations, but is fiercely opposed by Serbia, which still considers Kosovo as its southern province.

The ICJ concluded in December its hearings on the legality of Kosovo's independence declaration in response to a Serbian complaint.

The 15 judges are to deliver a non-binding opinion to the UN General Assembly after which it would be made public.

Kosovo was run by a UN administration after a NATO air campaign ousted Serbian forces from the province in 1999.

Fule, who is on a two-day visit to Kosovo, said dialogue between the two sides would enjoy a huge international support. "It very much depends on Pristina and Belgrade and they will have all the support from the international community and from the European Union," he said.

"But it will be first of all these two capitals to define that dialogue."

Except for rare low profile expert meetings, Belgrade and Pristina do not have any direct political contact on their many reciprocal problems.

Thaci expressed optimism in the "creation of new cooperative and integrative relations between the two countries."