Brussels, 17/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 16 October, President of Serbia Tomislav Nikolic said that Belgrade would abandon its plan to become a member of the EU if the EU insists on Serbia's recognition of Kosovo. “If they officially impose the condition of choosing between the EU and Kosovo, we will abandon our European path”, Nikolic said in an interview with the Serbian newspaper Vecernje Novosti. “The EU is keeping us at a distance solely over Kosovo. They can keep us at a distance for another 100 years but that will not change our position”, he added. The spokesperson for Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Füle told EUROPE that recognition of Kosovo's independence “has never been a condition for (the membership) of Serbia” and that there is nothing as such in the progress report published on 10 October. At the start of September, President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz said, however, that this recognition was a prior condition for Belgrade joining the EU. (CG/transl.fl)