(ANSA) - BELGRADE, APR 13 - Serbia is a key country in the Balkan region with which Germany works closely, chancellor Angela Merkel said in a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic today in Berlin. ''Serbia - said Merkel, cited by the media in Belgrade - plays a key role for what concerns Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and for this reason an intense and frequent exchange of opinions is important''. The chancellor, who praised the reform programme put in place by the Belgrade government, underlined that the rapprochement of the Western Balkans to the EU is one of the priorities of Bulgaria's rotating presidency of the Union in this first half of the year. Then she talked about the recent mission carried out in the region by the EC president Jean-Claude Juncker. The meetings with the Balkan leaders, Merkel added, will continue with the summit on May 17 in Sofia and in London in July with the annual summit of the so-called Berlin process. Vucic underlined Serbia's strong commitment to peace and stability in the Balkans. ''We will do everything we can to avoid tension and destabilization'', said president who thinks that new clashes and conflicts would bring the Balkans back a hundred years. Vucic then reiterated that integration into the EU is Serbia's top objective. On the eve of his new visit to Berlin, Vucic emphasized his interest in Angela Merkel's stance on the prospects for a solution to the Kosovo issue, which has a significant impact on Belgrade's European path. (ANSA).