European Union foreign ministers arrive in Luxembourg to discuss potential easing of sanctions in Syria and Serbia-Kosovo historical deal implications.

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European Union foreign ministers arrived in Luxembourg on Monday to discuss a potential easing of sanctions in Syria and implications of the Serbia-Kosovo agreement with regards to EU membership talks for Belgrade and an association agreement for Pristina.

Serbia and its former province of Kosovo struck a historic deal on Friday to settle their fraught relations and which aims to end ethnic partition.

The pact tackles the ethnic partition of Kosovo between its Albanian majority and a small Belgrade-backed pocket of some 50,000 Serbs in the north, a schism that has dogged regional stability since Kosovo seceded from Serbia in 2008.

[Frans Timmermans, Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs]:
"I think this is a historic agreement, it's another very important step towards lasting peace and stability in the Balkans."

Under the agreement, the north of Kosovo will be absorbed into the legal framework of the country but retain limited autonomy in areas of health, education, policing and courts.

[Guido Westerwelle, German Foreign Affairs Minister]:
"We wish for what has been agreed between Serbia and Kosovo to be implemented. That is very important from our side."

The agreement is likely to open the door to greater international integration of the young state, the last to emerge from the ashes of federal Yugoslavia.

The bloc's foreign ministers are also expected to discuss a potential easing of sanctions against Syria.

The rebels have gained control over some of Syria's oil-producing territory.

Oil sales could give the rebels much-needed cash for infrastructure repairs and to build up local governance, and, possibly, to fund purchases of arms.

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