New Serbian Coalition Seeks Support from West
As talks for the new government near completion, Serbia's nationalist leaders are trying to secure support from the West.
On the eve of the final negotiations on forming the new government, the leaders of the Progressives and the Socialists have shifted looking for support from the East to the West.
Aleksandar Vucic, the acting head of the Progressives, has just wrapped up his visit to the US Department of State in Washington, saying that the new government would need to be willing to do a lot of things that are not very popular.
"It is important for Serbia to move forward on the European path and the country can count on the support of the US in doing so," Vucic told Tanjug after the meeting.
Vucic said that Kosovo had also been discussed and that Serbia would have a difficult time resolving the issue. Kosovo declared its independence in February 2008 but Serbia strongly opposes the move and still claims it as its southern province.
Meanwhile, Ivica Dacic of the Socialists and a PM-designate, has travelled to Berlin to convince German officials that he was ready to improve communication with Pristina without bringing Serbia to the position of recognizing Kosovo’s independence.
Dacic said that the terms for Serbia to join the EU remained the same.
"The conditions are the same: to implement the agreements reached by Belgrade and Pristina, reach agreements on telecommunications and energy, and preserve peace and stability in Kosovo," Dacic said.
Moscow, usually a favourite destination for many Serbian politicians, has been on the back burner lately.
After the May general elections in Serbia officials from both parties first visited Russia, Serbia's main supporter against Kosovo's independence.
There has also been speculation that Moscow encouraged the forming of the new alliance on the Serbian political scene.
However, both Vucic and Dacic stressed that foreign powers would not play a role in the formation of the new government.
Tomislav Nikolic, the newly elected Serbian president, said after the inauguration that three of the pillars of Serbia's foreign policy are Russia, the EU and the US.
Election Background
Serbian Elections 2012: What's at stake
This spring almost 7 million Serbians are entitled to vote in presidential, general, provincial and local elections.
Two Decades of Election Tumult in Serbia
Since the renewal of multi-party politics in 1990 power has oscillated between a variety of parties in Serbia and votes have often followed by allegations of frauds and protests.
Key Parties in Serbia
Twelve years after the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic, the scene has changed significantly as parties rise, fall and change their minds. See Balkan Insight's profiles of Serbia's ruling and opposition parties.
Serbian Presidential Elections Since 1990
Since the first multi-party elections were held in 1990, Serbia has often had acting heads of state, while many of those elected ended their terms before their mandates expired.
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