Croatia is running the last metres towards European Union membership, which proves that the offer of the European prospects is in place, Westerwelle told reporters after an informal meeting of EU members' foreign ministers in Brussels.
According to him, it is a success of the European diplomacy that after the adoption of the Kosovo resolution, co-sponsored by the EU and Serbia, in the United Nations General Assembly, the path was now opened for launching dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo.
The European diplomacy is strong when it is united, which can be seen in the western Balkans, the German minister said.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, welcomed the co-sponsored resolution as a great success of Serbia and the EU.
Now we would like to see the start of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and it is up to them to decide who will hold negotiations, how and when. We are willing to help in that, Ashton said.
Several ministers pushed for the Council of the EU to give the green light to the European Commission to start elaborating a position on Serbia's EU membership application.
Belgrade submitted the application last December, but it has not been considered in Brussels so far, due to Serbia's policy towards Kosovo and insufficient cooperation with the Hague-based UN tribunal for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia.