Northern Kosovars Reject Government Authority

In a recent referendum criticized by both the European Union and the Serbian government northern Kosovo's ethnic Serb majority has overwhelmingly rejected the authority of the independent Kosovar government. The Kosovar Parliament downplayed the referendum's results, which saw 99.7% of northern Kosovo's 40,000 Serbs voting against the Albanian-dominated Kosovar government in Pristina, whilst the Serbian government criticized them as harmful to Serbian interests, which under the leadership of Serbian President Boris Tadic have been focused on developing a dialogue with the Kosovar government aimed to allowing for Serbian membership in the EU. More here.

Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Leads Jajinci Memorial in Belgrade

Patriarch Irinej (Gavrilovic) of Pech led a memorial today at Jajinci in Belgrade for the victims of the mass executions in Serbia during World War II that resulted in the deaths of 80,000 Serbs, Roma, and Jews. The commemorative events were attended by Serbian President Boris Tadic, other prominent Serbian officials, and veterans and survivors of the Holocaust in Serbia. More (in Serbian) here.

Serbian President Chooses Northern Kosovo Over Candidacy for EU Membership

Pro-European Union (EU) Serbian President Boris Tadic has rejected recent calls for his government to dismantle the administrative structures it has maintained in largely Serb northern Kosovo, saying that Serbia will accept delays in its acceptance as a candidate for EU membership as the price for maintaining its interests in Kosovo. More here.

Victims of Operation Storm Commemorated in Belgrade

Bishop Atanasije of Hvosno, auxiliary to the Serbian Orthodox patriarch, led a memorial today in Belgrade's Church of St. Mark in the presence of Serbian President Boris Tadic, other Serbian officials, and a large number of the city's faithful to commemorate the victims of Operation Storm, the offensive by Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina that killed over 3,000 Serbs in Slavonia and Bosnia and resulted in the expulsion of roughly 340,000 Serbs from Slavonia and Muslim-occupied Bosnia.

Although some of the operation's perpetrators have been sentenced by The Hague, the refugees have yet to be allowed to return to Slavonia or Bosnia to reclaim their properties. More here and (in Serbian) here.

Serbian, Macedonian Presidents Meet in Montenegro

At a meeting in Montenegro the presidents of Serbia and Macedonia have expressed their satisfaction over the development of relations between the two former member republics of Yugoslavia as well as their hope that the Serbian and Macedonian Orthodox Churches would overcome their schism, which both presidents recognized as beign their responsibility, not that of the Serbian or Macedonian governments. More here.

Russia, Serbia Affirm Ties

During a visit by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin to Serbia the Serbian government affirmed its strong ties with Russia and noted that Serbian integration into the European Union would be closely monitored to ensure that it would not mean a weakening of links with the Russian Federation. More here.

Serbian Outreach to Diaspora Not Interference in Neighbors' Internal Affairs

Responding to protests from Serbia's neighbors in the Balkans, Serbian President Boris Tadic has stated that his government's efforts to more closely connect the Serb Diaspora with Serbia is not intended to interfere in the internal issues of Serbia's neighbor states as Serbia does not consider the Serbs there as living in diaspora and leaves to them the workings of their local and national governments. More here.