Tadić: I would sign SAA today

President Boris Tadic said Thursday he would "sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU immediately if offered". "This would be within my powers. Such an agreement would protect Serbia's interests and our identity in Europe, and the security and integrity of our country," Tadic told a news conference at the Serbian Presidency. Tadic: I would sign SAA today Serbia has initialed the agreement, seen as the first step toward membership, in November last year, but Brussels decided against signing the deal, citing Belgrade's insufficient cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. Today, Tadic said that if "we fail to move towards the EU, in the coming years we will also be giving up our integrity." "As an EU member, Serbia would have the possibility to prevent other countries from becoming members, i.e. we could prevent Kosovo from joining," Tadic underscored. He called for the withdrawal of a draft resolution, proposed by the Serb Radical Party, SRS, and backed by the Democratic Party of Serbia, DSS, and New Serbia, NS, from parliamentary procedure, reiterating that it "abuses the issue of Kosovo in order to halt EU association". The government, dominated by Tadic's Democrats, DS, today gave a negative appraisal of the draft, but the parliament has the necessary majortiy to pass it. Tadic appealed for restraint, adding that a "political plan for the defense of the country's integrity should be carefully thought out". "In the 1990s, we had a policy which was hasty and which became ensnared, and we are suffering its consequences even today ... It is that policy that has resulted that today our compatriots no longer live in their centuries-old homes," Tadic pointed out. "Only through a policy of genuine, rather than fake patriotism, can we defend our interests," Tadic underscored. Boris Tadic talks to reporters today (Beta) Non-binding Yesterday, Boris Tadic said his party "will not implement parliament's decisions" as it takes part in government activities. In an interview for weekly Vreme, the Serbian president and the leader of the Democrats, DS, said that in the cabinet, the DS ministers "will not carry out the decisions of some new parliamentary majority", Beta news agency says. He added that the new parliamentary majority, if it existed, "will have to prove itself through a parliament decision on forming a new cabinet." Tadic was referring to the Serb Radical Party (SRS), the largest opposition and the largest single party in the parliament, and his coalition partners, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). The Radicals and the DSS Wednesday agreed to back a resolution that sets EU's acceptance of Serbia in its constitutional borders, which include Kosovo, as a condition for continued integration talks with Brussels. The DS, G17 Plus, the Liberal Democrats (LDP) and some ethnic minority parties believe that the issues of Kosovo's status and Serbia's EU integration are unrelated, and oppose the resolution. "If the Democratic Party of Serbia and the Radicals wish to interrupt the talks with the EU and to turn that into a platform for the country's future, that would contradict the principles on which the current cabinet was formed," Tadic told the weekly. According to him, the Democratic Party will not respect the decision by that new parliamentary majority, because, as he said, "no document obliges his party to do so". "The constitution clearly stipulates that it is the government which conducts foreign policy and the country's overall policy, and not the parliament. It is the government's responsibility," Tadic interpreted the situation. "Unless the government receives support in the parliament for foreign policy and European integrations then either they can form a new parliamentary majority, or we shall have elections, when the citizens will once again say, like in a referendum, that they want to be part of the EU and preserve the status of Kosovo as an integrated part of Serbia," the president stressed. Referring to his recent victory in the presidential vote, Tadic said there was "no reason for a new referendum, because we already had one," the weekly reported. Tadic further said the government's Action Plan did not contain any elements of violence or of waging a new war, and stressed that the international institutions were requested to continue operating in the field and implementing all UN decisions.

Tadić: I would sign SAA today

Serbia has initialed the agreement, seen as the first step toward membership, in November last year, but Brussels decided against signing the deal, citing Belgrade's insufficient cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.

Today, Tadić said that if "we fail to move towards the EU, in the coming years we will also be giving up our integrity."

"As an EU member, Serbia would have the possibility to prevent other countries from becoming members, i.e. we could prevent Kosovo from joining," Tadić underscored.

He called for the withdrawal of a draft resolution, proposed by the Serb Radical Party, SRS, and backed by the Democratic Party of Serbia, DSS, and New Serbia, NS, from parliamentary procedure, reiterating that it "abuses the issue of Kosovo in order to halt EU association".

The government, dominated by Tadić's Democrats, DS, today gave a negative appraisal of the draft, but the parliament has the necessary majortiy to pass it.

Tadić appealed for restraint, adding that a "political plan for the defense of the country's integrity should be carefully thought out".

"In the 1990s, we had a policy which was hasty and which became ensnared, and we are suffering its consequences even today ... It is that policy that has resulted that today our compatriots no longer live in their centuries-old homes," Tadić pointed out.

"Only through a policy of genuine, rather than fake patriotism, can we defend our interests," Tadić underscored.

Non-binding

Yesterday, Boris Tadić said his party "will not implement parliament's decisions" as it takes part in government activities.

In an interview for weekly Vreme, the Serbian president and the leader of the Democrats, DS, said that in the cabinet, the DS ministers "will not carry out the decisions of some new parliamentary majority", Beta news agency says.

He added that the new parliamentary majority, if it existed, "will have to prove itself through a parliament decision on forming a new cabinet."

Tadić was referring to the Serb Radical Party (SRS), the largest opposition and the largest single party in the parliament, and his coalition partners, Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS).

The Radicals and the DSS Wednesday agreed to back a resolution that sets EU's acceptance of Serbia in its constitutional borders, which include Kosovo, as a condition for continued integration talks with Brussels.

The DS, G17 Plus, the Liberal Democrats (LDP) and some ethnic minority parties believe that the issues of Kosovo's status and Serbia's EU integration are unrelated, and oppose the resolution.

"If the Democratic Party of Serbia and the Radicals wish to interrupt the talks with the EU and to turn that into a platform for the country's future, that would contradict the principles on which the current cabinet was formed," Tadić told the weekly.

According to him, the Democratic Party will not respect the decision by that new parliamentary majority, because, as he said, "no document obliges his party to do so".

"The constitution clearly stipulates that it is the government which conducts foreign policy and the country's overall policy, and not the parliament. It is the government's responsibility," Tadić interpreted the situation.

"Unless the government receives support in the parliament for foreign policy and European integrations then either they can form a new parliamentary majority, or we shall have elections, when the citizens will once again say, like in a referendum, that they want to be part of the EU and preserve the status of Kosovo as an integrated part of Serbia," the president stressed.

Referring to his recent victory in the presidential vote, Tadić said there was "no reason for a new referendum, because we already had one," the weekly reported.

Tadić further said the government's Action Plan did not contain any elements of violence or of waging a new war, and stressed that the international institutions were requested to continue operating in the field and implementing all UN decisions.