Kosovo took a step towards possible European Union membership yesterday, signing a trade and political pact with Brussels less than a decade after declaring independence from Serbia.

“It is a milestone in our mutual relationship, in particular for the European aspirations of Kosovo,” EU Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn said during the signing ceremony in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The pact comes despite the fact that EU states Spain, Cyprus, Romania, Greece and Slovakia do not recognise Kosovo’s independence from Serbia.

The signed pact, known as a stabilisation and association agreement, is a required step for every country that wants to join the EU.

All Balkan countries have already signed similar deals.

The entry into force of the agreement is expected in 2016, EU officials said. To allay Serbian worries, the EU seems ready to make concessions to Belgrade, launching long-stalled membership talks by the end of the year.