Almost 60 per cent of Serbs choose Kosovo over EU: poll

(BELGRADE) - Nearly 60 percent of Serbs will not support Belgrade's entry into the European Union if membership means recognising Kosovo's independence, according to a poll published Thursday.

The poll carried out for the Blic daily by Partner Konsalting between 10 and 19 December covered 1,600 people.

Seventeen percent will not back an entry into EU at all, 16 percent said they were undecided while 8 percent either did not know or refused to answer the question.

The poll was conducted after the EU announced it had delayed a decision on whether to allow Belgrade candidacy status for union until March, as several countries led by Germany insisted that Serbia take further steps to improve its relations with Kosovo.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday urged Pristina and Belgrade to implement a deal on joint border management that was concluded to ease tension in majority-Serb northern Kosovo.

Merkel also called on Belgrade to gradually dismantle the so-called parallel structures in northern Kosovo, like municipalities, courts and schools that continue to depend on Serbia.

Serbia has never recognised Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence and considers the territory still a Serbian province.