European Parliament Speaker Jerzy Buzek stated ahead of his visit to Belgrade that "Serbia's EU membership is a concrete prospect" despite the internal difficulties in the EU and "enlargement fatigue."

The continuing of dialog with Pristina is not a new condition, but rather "an existing commitment" for the status of EU member candidate for Serbia, Buzek pointed out in an interview with EurActiv Serbia and BETA.

The European Parliament speaker reiterated that "caution is the best advice," because the EU Council of Ministers must decide unanimously in favor of Serbia's candidate status in December.

He especially pointed out that the situation in northern Kosovo is "volatile" and that one must make sure that "short-term developments do not endanger long term progress."

Asked about the prospect of Serbia getting a date for the start of its membership negotiations with the EU before the new European Commission progress report for Serbia, which is due next year, Buzek replied that this "depends largely on Serbia, since the Commission has stated clearly that the opening of negotiations could take place as soon as relations with Kosovo are normalized."