Serbian minister: “Sanctions on Russia is the major breaking point for us”

Serbia hopes to complete its EU accession negotiations by the end of 2024 – a tall order considering the recent tensions with Kosovo, which Belgrade does not recognize as an independent state, and Serbia’s close ties with Russia. Tanja Miscevic, Serbia’s minister of European Integration, stated categorically in an interview with DW in Berlin that Serbia will never recognize Kosovo’s independence. Miscevic (57) is a Serbian political scientist and expert on Europe. She has worked in a number of academic and political posts and is in favor of Serbia’s integration into the EU. From 2005 to 2009, she served as director of the Serbian government’s Office for European Integration and was a member of the government’s negotiating team for Serbia’s accession to the EU. She was appointed minister for European Integration in 2022.