By David Brunnstrom and Mark John
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union officials said onMonday they were confident voters in Serbia would back pro-EUparties in a forthcoming parliamentary election after its10-month-old coalition collapsed over the loss of Kosovo.
A majority of the EU's 27 member states have recognised theindependence of the overwhelmingly Albanian territory, whichseceded from Serbia last month. The EU has begun deploying apolice and justice mission to help supervise the new state'sinstitutions, causing deep anger in Belgrade.
Nationalist Serb Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunicadissolved his government at the weekend after failing to forcea decision suspending ties with the EU as long as its membersbacked Kosovo's independence. A new poll is slated for May 11.
Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose countryholds the EU's rotating presidency, said he hoped for a victoryfor pro-European parties in the poll.
"Now with the election coming, I hope that the pro-EUforces will win ... I have seen encouraging signs," he toldreporters on arriving to chair a meeting of EU foreignministers.
"To be quite frank, I don't think there is any otherpossibility for our Serbian friends than the European Union.Where should they go?" he added.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the EU mustextend "the hand of friendship" to Serbia and ExternalRelations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said it was timeto offer Serbs easier visa procedures and other incentives.
"What we have to do is to show the Serbian population thatwe want them in the European Union," she said of Commissionproposals last week for an eventual phasing-out of visas, adoubling of scholarships and better EU-Serbia transport links.
TOWARDS OR AWAY FROM EUROPE?
EU officials, who openly supported the re-election ofpro-Western Serbian President Boris Tadic last month, madeclear they saw the poll as a chance for Serbs to tell theirleaders they want to pursue EU ties despite the loss of thecherished province.
"It is an opportunity to choose the European course morefirmly than they have done before," said Swedish ForeignMinister Carl Bildt, just back from a visit to Kosovo.
"Were Serbia to sink down into self-isolation, it wouldclearly be to the detriment of the economy, of politics ... ofSerbia, but also of the entire region. It would have decidedlynegative effects," he said.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the people ofSerbia had an opportunity to choose their way forward.
"I hope very much they will continue pushing for arelationship, deep and solid, with the European Union," hesaid.
Luxembourg's foreign minister, Jean Asselborn, said Serbsfaced the same choice as they had made when Tadic narrowlypipped ultra-nationalist Tomislav Nikolic in February --"towards Europe or against Europe".
The EU has initialled a so-called Stabilisation andAssociation Agreement with Belgrade as a first step on the longroad to membership, but has refused to sign the accord untilSerbia cooperates fully to arrest war crimes indictees.
(writing by Mark John and Paul Taylor, editing by PeterMillership)
