"Since we are your friends - we owe you the truth"

However, Loiseau added that she thinks Serbia has a European perspective - but stated that the current state of affairs within the Union is such that it does not allow new accessions "under satisfactory conditions".

"France thinks that Serbia has a European perspective, with its history, civilization and destiny, it is a part of Europe," Loiseau, who is visiting Belgrade, said in an interview with Politika. She stressed that Serbia, with Montenegro, is among the countries that made the most progress on the road to the EU, by opening 16 of the 35 (EU accession negotiations) chapters.
"But since we are your friends, we are obligated to tell you the truth: the current state of the European Union does not allow for new accession under satisfactory conditions - both for the sake of the EU itself and for the new states that would join it," Loiseau said. She added that it is necessary to reform the EU and to audit its functioning.
Asked which area was the main challenge for Belgrade in negotiations on accession with Brussels, Loiseau says there were two challenges - strengthening the rule of law and the "necessity of resolving the Kosovo dispute". She added that France and the EU "have long called on Belgrade and Pristina to normalize relations in order to plan together the future of peace and prosperity," stressing that her country supports the EU-led dialogue and is ready to make its full contribution.
"I know how sensitive this is for Serbia and the Serb people. Twenty years have passed since the end of the war in 1999, and it is crucial for future generations to overcome difficulties. I know that President Aleksandar Vucic is busy with that and looking for a compromise through dialogue," the French minister said. As for the current deadlock...