EU, eyes on Kosovo, to offer Serbia fast track
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European Union leaders, worried that Kosovo's push for independence could trigger instability in the Balkans, were set to offer Serbia a fast-track route to joining the bloc at a summit on Friday.
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European Union leaders are set to  offer Serbia a fast track to candidacy for membership of the  bloc and pledge to step up preparations for a police mission to  stabilize Kosovo, a draft statement for Friday's EU summit  said.
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The European Union is to adopt a new "twin track" approach to its dealings with the two officially united Balkan republics of Serbia and Montenegro, in an attempt to speed up their preparations for EU ...
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EU foreign ministers offer to resume talks on closer ties with Serbia if the country takes steps to catch war crimes suspects.
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The EU is looking to send up to  1,000 police, judges and other law enforcement personnel to  Kosovo once the future of the U.N.-administered province of  Serbia is settled, an EU official said on Tuesday.
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Serbia's president and party leaders were to meet Monday to map out their strategy concerning the UN plan for Kosovo, which most Serbs see as granting independence to the contested province.Comment
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Preparations for talks on Kosovo's future status should begin within months and power transferred more quickly to the Serbian province's local administration, a U.N. special envoy has recommended.
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"We hope for a continuity. We would like to see the democratic forces of Serbia winning."  By William SchombergLJUBLJANA  - New European Union President Slovenia said on Tuesday it aimed to sign an accord with Serbia that is a first step towards EU membership soon, possibly by the end of this month.But EU enlargement chief Olli Rehn insisted that Belgrade must first meet a condition of full cooperation with the U.N. war crimes tribunal on the former Yugoslavia."I am one of those who believe the SAA should be signed as soon as possible, possibly by the end of this month, but some of our colleagues have to be persuaded this is a good idea," Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel told reporters. Read more
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Talks on the future of Serbia&#39;s  breakaway province of Kosovo must not drag on indefinitely or  get sidetracked in an arid dispute over labels such as  &quot;independence,&quot; senior European officials said on Tuesday.
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The United Nations has granted Belgrade more time to prepare for a final round of talks on the future status of Kosovo, the breakaway Albanian-majority province of Serbia.
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European Union foreign ministers meet on Monday to study ways to end the impasse over Kosovo&#39;s future status and examine the first full draft of a new treaty of sorely-needed EU reforms.
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New European Union President Slovenia said on Tuesday it wants Serbia to move towards membership as soon as possible but acknowledged some EU states needed to be convinced.
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Kosovo will be self-governed under a UN envoy's plan, but overseen by a new European Union-led mission headed by an envoy similar to Bosnia's, a diplomat said.
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European Union leaders are set to offer Serbia a fast track to candidacy for membership in the bloc and pledge to step up preparations for a police mission to stabilize Kosovo, a draft statement for Friday's EU summit said.
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European Union nations agreed Monday on an offer to set up regular political ties with Serbia, open up trade and end visa restrictions, but it fell short of a wider deal to prepare Serbia for EU membership.
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Kosovo on Saturday inched closer to its historic declaration of independence, with a growing sense of excitement among its people and the European Union launching a police and judicial mission to smoothen the birth of the world's newest state.
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"There is virtual unity on Kosovo."  By David BrunnstromBRUSSELS  - Kosovo Albanian leaders said on Monday they will start immediate talks with Western backers towards an independence declaration as the EU came closer to unity in support of the province's drive to secede from Serbia.With a United Nations deadline for agreement on the future of the breakaway province expiring on Monday, Russia warned any unilateral recognition could trigger problems around the world."From today, Kosovo begins consultations with key international partners to coordinate the next steps to a declaration of independence," Skender Hyseni, spokesman of Kosovo's negotiating team with Serbia, said in Pristina. Read more