FMs of Serbia, Spain and Turkey Meet in Belgrade

According to the Spanish Foreign Ministry, Moratinos is travelling to the Balkans in order to convey the support of Spain, which currently hold the rotating EU Presidency, to the European perspective of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.

Moratinos visited Skopje this morning, where he was set to meet with Macedonian FM Antonio Milososki, President Gjorge Ivanov, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, Vice Premier for European Affairs Vasko Naumovski and several MPs.

He is expected to arrive in Belgrade Tuesday night and end his trip on Wednesday in Podgorica.

Last December, nationals of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia were granted visa-free travel by EU member states in the Schengen area. Among the three states, only Macedonia has achieved EU candidate status.

Montenegro returned the EU pre-accession questionnaire in late December 2009, and the EC is now due to deliver its opinion on the responses of the government of Montenegro.

Serbia submitted its EU application candidacy in late December and is now waiting for the application to be placed on the agenda of the EU Council of Ministers.

According to Belgrade media reports, the trilateral meeting is also aimed at finding a solution for how Kosovo will be represented at the EU-Western Balkans summit scheduled to take place in Sarajevo on June 2.

The last such gathering of leaders of Western Balkan countries, which was set to be the first meeting of all the political leaders in the region in 18 years, was overshadowed by the absence of Serbian President Boris Tadic and some invitees from Brussels and Madrid, including representatives of the Spanish EU Presidency.  Spain is one of the five EU member states that have not recognised Kosovo.

However, the summit, held in March in Slovenia, ended with a joint declaration of the regional leaders affirming their commitment to membership in the EU. Serbian media and some Bosnian officials dubbed it a debacle, while others from the Balkans called it a "moderate" success.

Serbia's Tadic refused to participate in the gathering due to a dispute over the manner in which the Kosovo delegation was to be represented. Serbia asked that Kosovo be represented under the banner of Kosovo-UNMIK, while Pristina officials said that they would participate as representatives of a 'sovereign country'.

Spain's Moratinos recently expressed his expectation that the Sarajevo summit would improve regional relations and bring together all parties, "with appreciation for international law and all sensitive issues".

“We will find a way to prepare this conference at a high level and I believe that we will be able to gather all sides, addressing important questions and being guided by international law,” Moratinos said in a statement.