The German minister stressed Kosovo was one of the priorities of his country's EU presidency, adding the topic would soon be put on the agenda.
He expressed conviction that UN Special Envoy for Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari would propose a "smart solution", stressing that both Belgrade and Pristina needed to take part in the process of finding such a solution.
Steinmeier said the international community was intensively preparing itself for future tasks in assisting Kosovo, adding that the EU mission in Kosovo would closely cooperate with the OSCE Mission.