Serbia's PM cautions EU over support for Kosovo

SERBIA:Serbia's prime minister, Vojislav Kostunica, has told the European Union that it must choose between stronger ties with Belgrade and support for an independent Kosovo.

"The EU has to choose whether it wants a whole, internationally recognised Serbia for its partner or whether it wants to create a quasi-state on Serbian territory," Mr Kostunica said, warning that he would not sign a pre-accession pact with Brussels if it went ahead with plans to deploy an 1,800-strong mission to help run a sovereign Kosovo.

"The EU must choose . . . whether to sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Serbia or, under United States pressure, send a mission to implement supervised independence for Kosovo, snatching part of Serbia's territory."

Serbia's parliament recently passed a motion forbidding the country's leaders from signing any international agreement that did not recognise Kosovo as part of its territory, though some analysts said the wording of key passages left room for future compromise.

Mr Kostunica and President Boris Tadic have been encouraged by western diplomats to resign themselves to Kosovo's independence, calm any potentially violent reaction in Serbia, and accept an expedited EU accession process and substantial investment in return.

But neither man wants to be associated with the "loss" of the historic region, especially with a presidential election looming and the ultra-nationalist Radical Party enjoying high popularity ratings amid widespread public anger over Kosovo.

Kosovo's ethnic-Albanian leaders are expected to delay their long-awaited declaration of independence until after the election, which will lbe run over two rounds on January 20th and February 3rd, to avoid giving a boost to Radical leader Tomislav Nikolic.

Mr Nikolic, who was allied with Serbia's autocratic former president Slobodan Milosevic, has vowed never to accept Kosovo's independence or make a deal with the western powers that support it, instead favouring closer ties with Russia and China.

"This is a decisive election because Serbia chooses which road to take," Mr Tadic said. "Mine is that of peace, prosperityand a better life, development, security and stability."

While not naming Mr Nikolic, Mr Tadic said other presidential candidates offered only an "errant road" leading Serbia into more isolation, poverty and "fear of wars".

"I believe that the citizens will support Serbia's European road," he declared.

Kosovo's new parliament convened yesterday following November's general election. Former rebel Hashim Thaci is expected to be appointed as prime minister next week.