Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said in Brussels on July 26 that now was the time to send a positive message to Belgrade in response to Serbia's bid for the status of candidate member of the European Union, adding that recognizing Kosovo must not be attached as a condition.

Frattini made the statement on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers' session, commenting on the advisory judgment on Kosovo by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Frattini said Belgrade must not be conditioned to recognize Kosovo's independence before Serbia becomes an EU member.

Frattini's position is that the EU Council of Ministers should order the European Commission to take another step in Serbia's accession to the 27-nation bloc.

This step would include an opinion by the European Commission on Serbia's readiness to become a candidate and enter membership negotiations, Italian sources explained.

Serbia's position on Kosovo is conciliatory, announced Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini in Brussels on Monday. Frattini referred to a message the EU received from an envoy of Serbian President Boris Tadić.

Frattini explained that the envoy told EU ministers about Serbia's position on solving the Kosovo problem.

He said that the conciliatory stance was likely opening up possibilities for negotiations between Belgrade and Priština, i.e., the Kosovo Albanian officials.

The Italian minister also noted that as far as a majority of EU countries and some other countries elsewhere, everything can be discussed except Kosovo's status.

Frattini also noted that it will certainly be crucial what kind of resolution Serbia sends to the UN General Assembly in September.

Steven Vanackere, the foreign minister of Belgium, which is currently chairing the EU, told journalists that the 27-nation bloc had made progress by unanimously adopting a position on the next steps in policy toward Serbia and Kosovo after the ICJ ruling.