The Socialist Party of Serbia, the Serbian Progressive Party and the United Regions of Serbia will soon finalize a coalition agreement to be signed by all the parties concerned, said Serbian PM designate Ivica Dačić. After talks with representatives of the United Regions of Serbia in the latter party’s seat, he announced that the parliament speaker would be elected in the following week and that the new government would be formed right after that. More from Jelena Simic.
Dačić stressed that, in his capacity of PM designate, he had had talks with the Serbian Progressive Party as well and that it was clear that a majority was a political reality to be transformed into a government. Dačić, who is the leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia, emphasized that he would not renounce the PM designate position just because someone else is longing for a big coalition of the Serbian Progressive Party and the Democratic Party.
Asked if he expects US Deputy Assistant State Secretary Philip Reeker to tell him that the USA regards him as not a good choice for a PM, Dačić said he believed the US administration did not intend to be involved in the formation of the Serbian government. The USA is one of Serbia’s key partners, he emphasized, adding that bilateral relations should be promoted further, which has been confirmed with his previous engagement as an interior minister.
Dačić also said that the future government would apply everything the previous one has agreed upon with Pristina in talks with Brussels and that it would represent a factor of peace and stability, since a new government is a new chance. The leader of the United Regions of Serbia, Mlađan Dinkić, agreed with him, promising that the public would be informed of all the agreements that have been reached when the future Serbian government receives full documentation of Belgrade-Pristina talks.
The meeting, held in the United Regions of Serbia’s premises, was attended, on behalf of the Socialist Party of Serbia, by party vice-president Žarko Obradović, and was hosted by the leader of the United Regions of Serbia, Mlađan Dinkić, party vice-president Verica Kalanović and pary presidency members Suzana Grubješić, Veroljub Stevanović and Boško Ničić.