In televised remarks, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said he failed to get his cabinet to reject closer ties with the European Union in the aftermath of Kosovo’s decision to breakaway from Serbia.
The prime minister has demanded that Serbia cut ties with EU countries that recognized Kosovo’s independence. The mostly ethnic Albanian province declared independence from Serbia last month.
Pro-Western politicians within Kostunica’s government and President Boris Tadic say Serbia ‘s membership in the EU is crucial in helping the country overcome years of hardship following the Balkan wars of the 1990’s. They argue that although Serbia will never give up Kosovo, the issue of EU membership is separate.
NEW DIRECTION
Speaking to reporters, Kostunica said he wants Serbian voters to decide their country’s future direction. “A government that has no united policy, especially on Kosovo, cannot function,” he said, adding that he will propose a general election for May 11.
Kostunica has made clear he favors turning to Russia which supports Belgrade’s effort to keep Kosovo as part of Serbia. But he has denied he is against the European Union.
"All parties in Serbia are in favor of entering the European Union. However, Serbia can only enter the EU with Kosovo," he said. President Tadic, reacting to the announcement, said he will call new elections.
RELIGIOUS CRADLE
Most Serbs consider Kosovo the cradle of Serbia’s Orthodox Church and culture. The province had been under international control since 1999 when NATO bombardments forced Serb forces to end their crackdown on the area’s Albanian majority.
However Serb Christians in Kosovo have said that despite a heavy NATO presence, dozens of churches, monasteries and even Orthodox graves have been destroyed, apparently by ethnic Albanian mobs seeking revenge for persecution under late autocratic Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. (BosNewsLife’s NEWS WATCH looks at news devolopments impacting the Church and compassionate professionals. Part of this BosNewsLife News story also airs on the Voice Of America (VOA). www.voanews.com).
