but we aren't out of the woods yet....

Serbia coalition close to collapse over EU accord

By Ellie TzortziTue Feb 5, 11:51 AM ET

Serbia's prime minister on Tuesday denounced an offer to sign an accord with the European Union as a trick to lure it into rubber-stamping an independent Kosovo, piling pressure on his tottering coalition.

The statement by Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica exposed a deep rift with pro-Western President Boris Tadic over Serbia's EU accession drive and could threaten plans to sign a deal that would put Serbia on the road to membership.

Tadic won re-election on Sunday on a pledge of pursuing EU membership no matter what happens with Serbia's breakaway province where the 90-percent Albanian majority is poised to declare independence this month, with the West's backing.

The EU, which on Monday authorized a supervisory mission to Kosovo ahead of its independence declaration, had hoped to sign the accord -- focusing on trade, visa and education issues -- on Feb 7 in the hope of preventing a nationalist backlash.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080205/wl_nm/serbia_eu_dc_4