President Boris Tadić takes oath in the inaugural parliament session (Beta)

The government yesterday officially rejected any such proclamation, announced it null and void, and said it had a set of as yet undisclosed measures to counter this.

But today Tadić explained that "frozen conflict" does not mean the severing of diplomatic ties with those countries, "since that would jeopardize Serbia's interests".

As for what his announcement meant, the president, sworn in today for a new five-year mandate, explained that Serbia's relations with those who do recognize the province's independence "will not be of the quality they are today".

Belgrade will also ask the United Nations to annul any independence declarations coming out of Priština, he said.

Tadić repeated that Serbia will not go to war over Kosovo.

The newly re-elected president was sworn in at the parliament Friday.

Tadić took the oath by reading and signing the text from the new Serbian Constitution, after which the national anthem, "God of Justice", was sounded.

The text of the oath reads as follows:

"I swear that I will invest all my efforts in the preservation of sovereignty and integrity of the territory of the Republic of Serbia, including Kosovo-Metohija as its integral part, as well as the realization of human and minority rights and freedoms, observation and defense of the Constitution and laws, preservation of peace and welfare of all Serbian citizens and that I will fulfill all my duties conscientiously and responsibly."

Tadić was sworn in after the Serbian parliament had accepted the Electoral Commission, RIK, report on the results of presidential elections held on Jan. 20 and Feb. 3.

Tadić is the first president in the history of Serbia as a sovereign and independent country.

The inauguration today was attended by the top state, army and religious leaders, including Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica and his cabinet ministers, as well as Crown Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević and his wife, Princess Katarina.

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