Kurz: Two chapters could be opened by end of year

VIENNA - As early as this year, Belgrade could open one or two chapters in its EU accession talks, says Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz.

The pace of the accession talks basically depends on the candidate's progress, and in Serbia's case, I am optimistic that it will be possible to open one or two chapters as early as this year, he said in an exclusive interview with Tanjug ahead of Wednesday's visit to Belgrade.

Asked whether he is satisfied with reforms in Serbia and whether Serbia will by 2019 be ready to join the EU - as has been announced by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic's government - Kurz said that the Serbian government has approached its job ambitiously and that he will encourage it to maintain the impressive pace of reforms.

Asked what Serbia can expect from the new European commissioner for neighbourhood policy, Austria's Johannes Hahn, over the next five years, Kurz noted that Commissioner Hahn has made it clear during a hearing in the European Parliament that investments will be made in the EU enlargement process in the next five years.

That means that there will be no stagnation whatsoever, he said, adding that, as a follow-up to an initiative by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a conference on the Western Balkans should be held in Austria next year.

Kurz announced that he is coming to Serbia to see the progress of post-flood recovery in Serbia on the ground, and that he will tour the projects run by Caritas and the Austrian Red Cross.

The recovery will be the main topic of discussions with Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, he said, announcing that the office of Austria's envoy for integration will be established at the Austrian embassy in...

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