Brussels - Two of the EU's top foreign-policy officials welcomed
the result Monday of Serbia's snap parliamentary elections, in which
pro-EU forces scored a convincing win, and urged Serbia's politicians
to form a pro-EU government quickly.

The European Commission, the EU's executive, "welcomes the success
of the reformist forces that share European values. This should enable
swiftly forming a new government," EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli
Rehn said.

"I hope that a new government can be formed rapidly, which would be
strongly committed to reforms and to meeting the necessary conditions
for further progress towards Europe," EU foreign-policy chief Javier
Solana said.

"The EU would give such a government all its support," Solana said.

EU leaders have long urged Serbia to maintain a pro-EU course as a
way of promoting stability and European influence in the region.
Shortly before Sunday's election, they signed a long-awaited pre-
membership deal with Serbia and offered free visas to most Serb
citizens in an effort to boost pro-EU sentiment in the country.

The election handed the largest share of the vote to the bloc led
by the pro-EU Democratic Party (DS), but left it needing the support of
at least two other parties to form a government.

On Monday, anti-EU forces said that they would open coalition talks
themselves in an effort to form a government - a move likely to be
viewed with concern in Brussels.

"I trust the new government will pursue the country's reform agenda
and its path towards the EU. Serbia can become the engine of the
Western Balkans and the EU is ready to accelerate its EU course -
including candidate status," Rehn said. (dpa)