(VOVworld) - The European Union said it will sign next Tuesday a long-awaited accord with Kosovo on closer ties which could open the way to EU membership for Kosovo.

(Photo: AFP)

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after years of tensions following the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said top officials will sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement in Strasbourg, home to the European Parliament. Kocijancic said that once implemented it will bring more economic prosperity, legal certainty, government accountability, and political stability to the people of Kosovo. 
A Stabilization and Association agreement is the key first step for non-EU countries on the long road to membership in the bloc, which currently includes 28 nations.