Serbia chooses path to EU or Russia in February 3 vote
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Serbia faces a showdown next month between a nationalist who leans towards Russia and a liberal favoring the West in a presidential election run-off.
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"There is a risk of the return of the old guard that led Serbia into conflicts and isolation during the 1990s and led people into turmoil and uncertainty"  By Ellie TzortziBELGRADE  - Pro-Western president Boris Tadic and hardline challenger Tomislav Nikolic vie in elections on Sunday that will decide who drives Serbia's response to the trauma of the expected breakaway of its Kosovo region.Opinion polls ahead of a first-round ballot gave Nikolic a slim lead over Tadic, but not enough for a knockout victory.The winner of the February 3 run-off will be the candidate who can attract third-party votes with promises of better living standards, jobs and the defense of Kosovo, heading for independence with Western backing within months. Read more
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The European Union is set to approve a first step toward closer ties with Serbia and Montenegro Monday after a Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect turned himself in to the UN
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"Anyone who wants Serbia as a partner has to know Serbia will accept partnership only as a whole country, not as a country cut in two"  Serb Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica warned the European Union on Tuesday that sending a supervisory mission to the breakaway province of Kosovo could damage relations with Serbia. via The Washington Post
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European Union leaders will offer Serbia a fast-track route to joining the bloc in a bid to soothe Balkan tensions over Kosovo's push for independence, a summit draft showed on Friday.
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"Russia is categorically against a unilateral declaration of independence"  Serbia's drift toward Russia continued ahead of the country's presidential election with the news that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been made an honorary citizen of its second-largest city. The criteria for becoming an honorary citizen of Novi Sad states that the nominee must have deep personal ties to the city and must have significantly contributed to its development. But Mr. Putin has not visited Novi Sad while in office - nor has he made any special contribution to the city. Analysts say that the honor - which has also been given by a number of other Serbian towns - was bestowed in an attempt to boost the prospects of the pro-Russian presidential candidate Tomislav Nikolic ahead of this weekend's election. Read more
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The EU sought Monday to boost the election chances of Serbia's pro-European President Boris Tadic, offering to sign a cooperation deal after a poll that is shaping up as a "referendum on Europe".
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Serbia's parliament overwhelmingly adopted a resolution Wednesday that threatens to halt the country's integration into the European Union and cut off diplomatic ties with Western countries if they recognize Kosovo's independence.
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BELGRADE, Jan 23 (IPS) - The two leading candidates in the presidential  elections Sunday headed into a second round Feb. 3 as expected.  Less expected was the high turnout.
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EU foreign ministers will debate on  Monday whether to sign an interim trade agreement with Serbia  -- a move seen as boosting pro-European President Boris Tadic  ahead of a February 3 presidential run-off.
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Nationalist Tomislav Nikolic won the first round of Serbia's presidential election on Sunday, setting up a run-off with the pro-Western incumbent that will shape ties with the EU after the expected loss of Kosovo.
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The European Union is set to approve a first step toward closer ties with Serbia and Montenegro Monday after a Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect turned himself in to the U.N. tribunal for former Yugoslavia, ...
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Pro-Western president Boris Tadic and  hardline challenger Tomislav Nikolic vie in elections on Sunday  that will decide who drives Serbia's response to the trauma of  the expected breakaway of its Kosovo region.
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"The EU will be ready to give a formal go-ahead to the mission a few days after the election"  The European Union's foreign policy chief said on Tuesday that the EU will sanction the dispatch of a police force to Serbia's breakaway province of Kosovo after the country's presidential election. via RIA Novosti
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BELGRADE, Serbia, Jan. 4 The European Union is to decide whether to accept Serbia along with its mainly ethnic-Albanian Kosovo province or recognize an independent Kosovo. via Earth Times
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Serbia's president accepts the result of a referendum in which Montenegrins narrowly backed breaking with Serbia.
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Pro-Western president Boris Tadic and hardline challenger Tomislav Nikolic vie in elections on Sunday that will decide who drives Serbia's response to the trauma of the expected breakaway of its Kosovo region.