European Union foreign ministers on Saturday held separate talks with senior Serbian and Kosovo officials, the first such meetings since EU countries began recognizing Kosovo as an independent country, the Associated Press reported. Over breakfast with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, the EU called on Belgrade to show restraint in its dealings with Kosovo and to fully cooperate with the U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, a key condition for establishing closer ties to the 27-nation bloc. The ministers emphasized that Serbia's eventual place should be in the EU and not in isolation. «We want Serbia to show restraint ... but also to progress to the EU,» said Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency and hosted the meetings. Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci met later with the ministers. Thaci said Kosovo wanted to have good relations with all of its neighbors, including Serbia. «Our goal as an independent country is to be part of the EU and NATO,» he said at a country residence of former Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito. Slovenia, Serbia and Kosovo were all part of the former Yugoslavia. A deal on closer cooperation between Serbia and the EU collapsed in mid-February when most of the 27 EU nations began recognizing Kosovo's independence. The EU has demanded that Belgrade hand over two key suspected war criminals before it will restart talks on a cooperation deal.
