The United States today congratulated the pro-western president of Serbia, Boris Tadic, on his re-election and said it would work with him to set Serbia on the path of European integration.
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| Boris Tadic, Serbia's president, speaks in Belgrade after winning the election |
But State Department spokesman Sean McCormack's congratulatory statement did not mention the complicated issue of Serbia's breakaway province of Kosovo, which may soon declare independence, setting off a new Balkan crisis.
Serbian nationalists argue their country should align itself with Russia instead of the European Union. They are angry that most western countries, including the United States and most of the EU, plan to recognize Kosovo's independence.
"President Tadic promised voters a European future for Serbia. We will work with President Tadic and Serbia to see that promise fulfilled and Serbia firmly on a path toward European integration," Mr McCormack said.
Mr Tadic took 50.5 per cent of votes cast yesterday to beat nationalist Tomislav Nikolic by about 100,000 votes.
But Mr Tadic's coalition ally, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, refused to back the president in yesterday's ballot. He opposes signing any treaty with the EU if it backs independence for Kosovo, a province with deep emotional and historic significance for Serbs which is now dominated by ethnic Albanians.
Serbia and its ally Russia oppose independence for Kosovo, which has been run by the United Nations since a NATO bombing campaign against the Serbs in 1999 to halt the killing and ethnic cleansing of Albanians.