Serbia's future lies within the European Union and its eventual entry into the bloc must not be tied to developments in Kosovo, the foreign ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Greece said Saturday, according to AP. «Nobody wants to put Serbia into this kind of dilemma (to choose between EU entry and holding on to Kosovo). These are two separate issues; any attempt to link Serbian accession with developments in Kosovo would be wrong and counterproductive,» Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis told reporters in a joint news conference with Bulgaria's Ivailo Kalfin and Romania's Adrian Mihai Cioroianu. Greece, which has consistently opposed any change in Balkan borders over the past couple of decades, opposes recognizing an independent Kosovo state if the Albanian majority in the province unilaterally declares independence from Serbia. Greece fears this could undermine the Balkans' fragile stability. Romania, which has a substantial Hungarian minority, shares Greece's position. Bulgaria looks more favorably at the idea of an independent Kosovo, but Kalfin did not openly disagree with his two colleagues. He agreed that «any solution not based on compromise is bad» but said EU membership «is a community of values» to which the Serbs must adhere. Both the Serbs and Kosovars must show «commitment to a political process and (avoid) recourse to violence,» he added.
