"No surprises from Brussels in December"

NEW YORK Tomislav Nikolic has said that he received assurances from EU's Catherine Ashton in New York that there will be "no surprises from Brussels in December." This is when Serbia's EU accession talks are due to begin. "No surprises from Brussels in December" "She said that there will be no surprises in December, and that we can count on the opening of talks, and that there will be no varying in Brussels' approach," the Serbian president told reporters after his meeting with Ashton. The Serbian president also informed the EU's foreign policy chief about Belgrade's complaints concerning the organization of the forthcoming local elections in Kosovo and Metohija. Nikolic pointed to "irregularities and illogical things" that occurred during preparations for local elections that are scheduled to take place on November 3, which "bring into question not only the regularity of these elections, but also Belgrade's support for these polls." According to Tanjug, Ashton said she will take measures quickly, after President Nikolic voiced Belgrade's complaints about the organization of local elections in Kosovo, "even some about which she did not have enough information." “If we do not have our people among the polling station staff, if we have no representative in the Central Electoral Commission, if out of 11,000 voters from Serbia that have registered so far only 200 were declared valid, then that is a sign that someone is trying to deceive us,” Nikolic warned. Serbia expects a lot from these elections, to “finally direct its people to the path of cooperation with the European community and entire world, ensure to them legitimacy and legality, that they can publicly and openly present their problems and expect a solution,” Nikolic, who on Wednesday addressed the UN General Assembly, said. "Progress commended" EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton conferred with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic on the sidelines of a session of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday and commended Serbia's progress on the EU integration pathway. The high representative commended the progress made over the last year, reads a statement by Ashton's media office, adding that she and Nikolic also discussed the implementation of the Brussels agreement. They focused on the November local elections in Kosovo and agreed that it is important for the elections to be fair and to have the greatest possible turnout, Ashton's legal office said. Tanjug

"No surprises from Brussels in December"

"She said that there will be no surprises in December, and that we can count on the opening of talks, and that there will be no varying in Brussels' approach," the Serbian president told reporters after his meeting with Ashton.

The Serbian president also informed the EU's foreign policy chief about Belgrade's complaints concerning the organization of the forthcoming local elections in Kosovo and Metohija.

Nikolić pointed to "irregularities and illogical things" that occurred during preparations for local elections that are scheduled to take place on November 3, which "bring into question not only the regularity of these elections, but also Belgrade's support for these polls."

According to Tanjug, Ashton said she will take measures quickly, after President Nikolić voiced Belgrade's complaints about the organization of local elections in Kosovo, "even some about which she did not have enough information."

“If we do not have our people among the polling station staff, if we have no representative in the Central Electoral Commission, if out of 11,000 voters from Serbia that have registered so far only 200 were declared valid, then that is a sign that someone is trying to deceive us,” Nikolić warned.

Serbia expects a lot from these elections, to “finally direct its people to the path of cooperation with the European community and entire world, ensure to them legitimacy and legality, that they can publicly and openly present their problems and expect a solution,” Nikolić, who on Wednesday addressed the UN General Assembly, said.

"Progress commended"

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton conferred with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić on the sidelines of a session of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday and commended Serbia's progress on the EU integration pathway.

The high representative commended the progress made over the last year, reads a statement by Ashton's media office, adding that she and Nikolić also discussed the implementation of the Brussels agreement.

They focused on the November local elections in Kosovo and agreed that it is important for the elections to be fair and to have the greatest possible turnout, Ashton's legal office said.