(LISBON) - Portugal's Foreign Minister Luis Amado said Wednesday that the European Union had discriminated against Serbia, and called for a speedy rapprochement during talks with his Serbian counterpart.

"From my point of view, Serbia has been treated in a discriminatory manner," Amado said, in a veiled reference to widespread European support for the breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo which unilaterally declared independence.

"The different treatment meted out to countries in the region in the past must be taken into account," in Serbia's case, he said, adding that the EU should "quickly move towards a stabilisation and association agreement with Serbia."

Portugal is one of the few EU countries which has not recognised Kosovo's independence. Eighteen of the 27 EU members have done so.

The bloc and Serbia have initialled a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), the first step to membership, but Belgium and the Netherlands have blocked its signing.

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said his country was determined to join the EU.

"It is unfortunate that the unilateral course of action has been taken, and it is even more regrettable that a limited number of countries have decided to support a secessionist attempt," he said.

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