Sejdiu rules out Serbian elections in Kosovo

20/04/2008

PRISTINA, Kosovo -- President Fatmir Sejdiu said on Friday (April 18th) that the time has passed for Kosovo to serve as a venue for Serbian elections, something he said Belgrade must accept. "Kosovo is an independent and sovereign country, which is recognised internationally. According to the principle of dual citizenship, all Serbs willing to be citizens of Serbia as well, can vote in the Serbian elections [on May 11th] in Serbia," Sejdiu said in an address to parliament, where he presented his annual report on the work of the presidential institutions and their future tasks. He reiterated that the top priority now is integration in the Euro-Atlantic structures.

In other news Friday, Serbia and Russia agreed to ratify a bilateral energy agreement before those May 11th parliamentary elections. First initialled in late January, the accord envisions Belgrade's participation in the South Stream gas pipeline project. Also signed was a contract for the purchase of 51% of the Serbian state-owned oil company NIS by Russia's giant Gazprom. Moscow further announced it will send more planeloads of humanitarian aid to Serbs in Kosovo, including tonnes of wheat. (AFP, RIA Novosti, Tanjug - 19/04/08; MIA, Kosovapress, Beta - 18/04/08)