European parliament special rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin said on Friday he hoped Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel would change her opinion that Serbia does not deserve EU candidate status at the moment.

Merkel said earlier Serbia had not met the requirements to gain the status and called on the Serbian government to change its course.

Serbia can enter the EU only by normalizing its relations with Kosovo, she stated addressing the German parliament, adding she regretted the fact that Serbia had not lived up to the expectations.

It is extremely important that Serbia be granted the candidate status, so it could repeat Montenegro's success in the next stage and enter the accession talks, Kacin remarked in comment to Merkel's words.

Never say never is a basic rule in politics, Kacin told Deutsche Welle. He hopes Merkel could change her view, but adds that it could only happen based on a last minute breakthrough or piece of good news.