ELDR has been informed that in four municipalities’ offices of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Serbia have been demolished on Sunday 17th and Monday 18th February after Kosovo proclaimed its independence. Following acts of vandalism against the residence of LDP Leader Čedomir Jovanović in Belgrade, ELDR President Annemie Neyts said that the European liberal democrat party is calling “for an investigation into the inciting of violence as well as an investigation into who has produced acts of destruction against the people and the property of the Liberal Democratic Party in Belgrade”. “There is a climax of aggression – added President Neyts - instigated by anti-European lobbies which obstructed during the last Serbian presidential elections the job of the liberal democratic candidate Mr Jovanović, who strongly supported an effective pro-European solution to the Kosovo status issue”.  Read more ...

 ELDR Partyrue MONTOYERstraat 31 (7th floor)1000 Bruxelles - BelgiqueT +32 2 237 01 40 / F +32 2 231 19 07info@eldr.org / www.eldr.org  Kosovo: ELDR approves the declaration of independence     The ELDR Party has long called for the conditional independence of Kosovo and during its Berlin Congress on 18-19th October 2007, approved a resolution on the final status of Kosovo specifying that if no agreement was reached between Kosovar and Serb authorities by 10th December 2007, the report of UN special envoy Marti Ahtisaari had to be put into effect as soon as possible. Following Sunday’s declaration the European liberal family is ready to support the process of the independence of Kosovo. ELDR sees the deployment of an EU law and order mission as essential to the process of managing Kosovo’s independence and guaranteeing the rule of law, security, peace, democratic development, and the full respect of human, religious and minority rights of all ethnic communities.The Liberal Party of Kosova (PLK) led by Gjergj Dedaj is member of the ELDR party. The party participates in the Government of Kosovo with Mr Dedaj as a Deputy Minister. “The PLK and Kosovo’s institutions will advocate respect of all democratic rights of the Serb minority making Kosovo a new and democratic European country for all citizens,” said Mr Dedaj. “The international community, especially the European Union, the United States and Russia, have a duty to assist in the stability and smooth transition of the new country, its institutions and structures with both a civilian and military presence. This delicate period in the history of the Western Balkans will be particularly testing on the will and capability of the EU to maintain peace and order in its own back yard." commented ELDR President Annemie Neyts. "I am convinced that only through bringing stability to the Western Balkans Serbia and Kosovo will progress along the path towards European integration,” concluded Mrs Neyts.   Read more ...

 ELDR President and ALDE Coordinator for Foreign affairs, Annemie Neyts, first and foremost praises the Serbian people for their maturity. “By turning out in sufficient numbers to validate the outcome, the Serbian men and women have done Serbian democracy a great service”, she says.  “And so has Mr. Nicolic by conceding defeat and calling for calm”, she added. “ I congratulate Mr. Tadic “ she concluded, “ and I hope that it will soon be possible to prepare the immediate and long term future on a new basis”. Read more ...