Juppe: EU to Grant Serbia Candidate Status

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe (R) chats with his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Portas (L) prior to an EU foreign affairs council in Brussels, Belgium, 27 February 2012. EPA/BGNES

Serbia is set to be granted European Union candidate status later this week, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has announced.

Juppe noted Monday that no "objections" had been raised at a meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels, as cited by DPA.

The decision much awaited by Serbia is to be formally taken by the ministers responsible for EU affairs on Tuesday and endorsed by EU leaders at a summit at the end of the week.

Juppe noted that an across-the-board consensus had already been evident at Monday's meeting.

"It's done. There was agreement today," he told reporters. "There are no longer any objections."

But at the same time, he warned that there remains a long road ahead before Serbia is given the green light to ultimately join the bloc.

Serbia has removed most of the roadblocks on its path to candidate status by stricking two deals with Kosovo on regional cooperation and border management.

Better relations between Serbia and its breakaway province is considered a precondition for progress by Belgrade towards EU membership.

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