Serbia's top officials meet, agree on united policy

Boris Tadic, Vojislav Kostunica and Oliver Dulic have met this evening in Belgrade. The president, prime minister and parliament speaker agreed during the meeting that Serbia must lead a united state and national policy. Serbia's top officials meet, agree on united policy A statement from the government's media office said that the three top state officials also concluded there is a real threat that the province of Kosovo could soon declare illegal independence, and that the state institutions must take all the necessary steps to annul any such decision. In line with this, Tadic has called a meeting of the Council for National Security for tomorrow, Feb. 12. The council will review the Action Plan prepared in case the Kosovo Albanians decide to unilaterally declare independence. This was followed by Kostunica's decision to schedule a government session for Thursday, Feb. 14. The cabinet will adopt a decision to annul any independence proclamation. The decision will become active if such a move is taken by authorities in Pristina. The document would in that case be sent to the parliament for debate and adoption. The statement adds that these activities have the goal of confirming Serbia's unified national policy. During the day today, there was uncertainty whether the meeting would take place. Last week, the ruling coalition, led by Tadic's Democrats (DS) and Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), was deadlocked over the parties' diverging views on EU integration and Brussels' position regarding Kosovo. Today, B92 has learned that shortly before the meeting Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Alekseyev entered the Presidency building, but did not meet with Tadic. Instead, he was received by one of the president's advisors, our sources told us. Earlier Monday, Dulic and party whips postponed their meeting announced earlier. B92 understands that the meeting will now take place on Wednesday. According to a statement from Dulic's cabinet, talks with the whips will not take place until after meetings at the highest level. "Bearing in mind the complicated situation in Kosovo, the speaker believes that it is necessary for state unity to be displayed on the most important matters one more time at the next session of parliament," read the statement. The consultations with the speaker were called following a request from the DSS-NS, Serb Radical Party (SRS) and Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) parliamentary groups for an emergency session of parliament to be held to consider their proposal to respond to the dispatch of the EU mission to Kosovo. Tadic, Dulic, Kostunica (Tanjug)

Serbia's top officials meet, agree on united policy

A statement from the government's media office said that the three top state officials also concluded there is a real threat that the province of Kosovo could soon declare illegal independence, and that the state institutions must take all the necessary steps to annul any such decision.

In line with this, Tadić has called a meeting of the Council for National Security for tomorrow, Feb. 12. The council will review the Action Plan prepared in case the Kosovo Albanians decide to unilaterally declare independence.

This was followed by Koštunica's decision to schedule a government session for Thursday, Feb. 14. The cabinet will adopt a decision to annul any independence proclamation.

The decision will become active if such a move is taken by authorities in Priština.

The document would in that case be sent to the parliament for debate and adoption.

The statement adds that these activities have the goal of confirming Serbia's unified national policy.

During the day today, there was uncertainty whether the meeting would take place.

Last week, the ruling coalition, led by Tadić's Democrats (DS) and Koštunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), was deadlocked over the parties' diverging views on EU integration and Brussels' position regarding Kosovo.

Today, B92 has learned that shortly before the meeting Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Alekseyev entered the Presidency building, but did not meet with Tadić.

Instead, he was received by one of the president's advisors, our sources told us.

Earlier Monday, Dulić and party whips postponed their meeting announced earlier. B92 understands that the meeting will now take place on Wednesday.

According to a statement from Dulić's cabinet, talks with the whips will not take place until after meetings at the highest level.

"Bearing in mind the complicated situation in Kosovo, the speaker believes that it is necessary for state unity to be displayed on the most important matters one more time at the next session of parliament," read the statement.

The consultations with the speaker were called following a request from the DSS-NS, Serb Radical Party (SRS) and Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) parliamentary groups for an emergency session of parliament to be held to consider their proposal to respond to the dispatch of the EU mission to Kosovo.