EU leaders on Thursday agreed to grant EU candidate status to Serbia, without a date for the start of the country's EU membership talks.
The European Council has granted EU candidate status to Serbia, read conclusions adopted by leaders of EU member countries.
Serbia had waited for this decision since December 2009 when it applied for EU membership.
The way to candidate status was paved after in May 2011 Serbian authorities arrested Ratko Mladic, who had been hiding for years from the Hague war crimes tribunal, and after a few days ago agreement was reached on Kosovo's participation in regional forums.
