Tadić: EU mission welcome only with UN approval

The EU can send its mission to Kosovo only with UN SC approval, President Boris Tadic says. He was meeting with the OSCE chairman and Finnish foreign minister, Ilkka Kanerva, in the capital today. Tadic: EU mission welcome only with UN approval "Belgrade believes that there is no legal framework in place for an EU mission to be sent to Kosovo and Metohija. President Tadic has relayed Serbia's position that the mission can be approved only by the United Nations Security Council," a statement from the president's cabinet, distributed to the media this afternoon, said. Tadic's statement is important in light of the serious crisis gripping Serbia's ruling coalition today, stemming precisely from the differences his Democrats (DS) and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) have on the issue. At the same time, his party insists that a political agreement Brussels has offered Belgrade and the decision to send a mission to Kosovo are unrelated issues. Tadic also repeated that Serbia will not recognize Kosovo's possible unilaterally declared independence, and remains in favor of continued talks between the ethnic Albanian leadership in Pristina and authorities in Belgrade. Kanerva, who previously met with Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, said that the Sunday presidential elections in Serbia passed in a democratic and fair atmosphere. Tadic, Kanerva, meet in Belgrade today (Beta)

Tadić: EU mission welcome only with UN approval

"Belgrade believes that there is no legal framework in place for an EU mission to be sent to Kosovo and Metohija. President Tadić has relayed Serbia's position that the mission can be approved only by the United Nations Security Council," a statement from the president's cabinet, distributed to the media this afternoon, said.

Tadić's statement is important in light of the serious crisis gripping Serbia's ruling coalition today, stemming precisely from the differences his Democrats (DS) and Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) have on the issue.

At the same time, his party insists that a political agreement Brussels has offered Belgrade and the decision to send a mission to Kosovo are unrelated issues.

Tadić also repeated that Serbia will not recognize Kosovo's possible unilaterally declared independence, and remains in favor of continued talks between the ethnic Albanian leadership in Priština and authorities in Belgrade.

Kanerva, who previously met with Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić, said that the Sunday presidential elections in Serbia passed in a democratic and fair atmosphere.