Post by radovic on Jan 28, 2008 10:40:51 GMT -5
Radicals open for EU cooperation, says Nikoliæ
28 January 2008 | 16:35 | Source: B92, Beta
BELGRADE -- As the campaign enters its final phase, Tomislav Nikoliæ addressed the issue of Serbia's EU integration.
Nikoliæ meets his voters in Belgrade today (Beta)
The Serb Radical Party (SRS) presidential candidate in the second round of voting next Sunday said today that he is "completely open for cooperation with the European Union," and that the only condition for this is for Kosovo to remain a part of Serbia.
The Radicals have in the past adopted strong anti-Western rhetoric, but today's comments come in the wake of Nikoliæ's presidential opponent, incumbent Boris Tadiæ's strong pro-EU campaign during the past week.
"The future I offered has already been chosen by Serbia, and that is cooperation with the EU and the Russian Federation," the SRS deputy president told citizens as he spoke to them in downtown Belgrade.
Nikoliæ is running in this election, since party leader, Vojislav Šešelj, is detained at the Hague Tribunal, standing trial accused of war crimes by the UN court.
Today, Nikoliæ also talked about social issues, such as healthcare.
"We must not allow people to die because they could not afford medication or a surgical procedure. And when I say this, I have the most vulnerable, the pensioners, in mind," he said.
As for agriculture, the Radical candidate favors loans that would allow farmers to rebuild what he called "devastated Vojvodina and Šumadija villages."
The factor of ethnicity came into play as he commented that "Croats have bought several tens of thousands of hectares of land in Serbia only because they also bought some factories we thought were going down."
Nikoliæ explained that he opposed these acquisitions.
28 January 2008 | 16:35 | Source: B92, Beta
BELGRADE -- As the campaign enters its final phase, Tomislav Nikoliæ addressed the issue of Serbia's EU integration.
Nikoliæ meets his voters in Belgrade today (Beta)
The Serb Radical Party (SRS) presidential candidate in the second round of voting next Sunday said today that he is "completely open for cooperation with the European Union," and that the only condition for this is for Kosovo to remain a part of Serbia.
The Radicals have in the past adopted strong anti-Western rhetoric, but today's comments come in the wake of Nikoliæ's presidential opponent, incumbent Boris Tadiæ's strong pro-EU campaign during the past week.
"The future I offered has already been chosen by Serbia, and that is cooperation with the EU and the Russian Federation," the SRS deputy president told citizens as he spoke to them in downtown Belgrade.
Nikoliæ is running in this election, since party leader, Vojislav Šešelj, is detained at the Hague Tribunal, standing trial accused of war crimes by the UN court.
Today, Nikoliæ also talked about social issues, such as healthcare.
"We must not allow people to die because they could not afford medication or a surgical procedure. And when I say this, I have the most vulnerable, the pensioners, in mind," he said.
As for agriculture, the Radical candidate favors loans that would allow farmers to rebuild what he called "devastated Vojvodina and Šumadija villages."
The factor of ethnicity came into play as he commented that "Croats have bought several tens of thousands of hectares of land in Serbia only because they also bought some factories we thought were going down."
Nikoliæ explained that he opposed these acquisitions.