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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Pristina today that Kosovo and Serbia must continue dialogue with each other and achieve mutual recognition, as their European future depends on it, Kosovopress reported.

EU-backed talks between the former Serbian province and Belgrade have been going on for 11 years, but have not yielded significant results, and tensions remain.

Scholz, who is on a Balkan tour, said Russia's invasion of Ukraine has made the region's stability even more important, the Associated Press reported.

According to the German chancellor, his government has declared the membership of the Western Balkan countries in the EU a priority and will support Kosovo's desire for visa liberalization, Reuters added.

Olaf Scholz begins a mini tour of the Western Balkans

It is clear that an agreement must ultimately clarify the issue of recognizing Kosovo, as it is not acceptable for two countries that do not recognize themselves to become members of the EU, Scholz said at a joint news conference with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

The German chancellor asked the Serbian and Kosovo governments to engage in dialogue with each other.

Dialogue is the way to further open Kosovo's European perspective.

The agreement must ultimately include the recognition of Kosovo, Scholz said.

Kosovo, a former Serb province, declared independence in 2008, a decade after the 1998-99 military clash between ethnic Albanian rebels and Serbian security forces.

The war ended after 78 days of NATO airstrikes, which led to the withdrawal of Serbian troops and the deployment of peacekeepers in Kosovo.

Most Western countries recognize Kosovo's independence, but Serbia and its allies, Russia and China, refuse.

Albin Kurti said after meeting with Scholz that he had been asked by Germany to support Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe and in NATO's Partnership for Peace program.  

The German chancellor praised Kosovo for joining EU sanctions against Russia.

Apparently referring to the Serbian government, Scholz recalled that any country aspiring to join the EU must comply with EU rules.

Serbia has so far not joined European sanctions against Moscow over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Scholz is due to arrive in Belgrade later today.