European Union officials say they hope voters in Serbia will back pro-EU parties in a forthcoming parliamentary election after its 10-month-old coalition collapsed over the loss of Kosovo

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (MARCH 10, 2008) (REUTERS) - Foreign ministers of the European Union states on Monday (March 10) met in Brussels for talks expected to touch the WTO's Doha Development agenda, Western Balkans, Georgia, Zimbabwe and Iran.

But the resignation of Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica proved the main talking point as the ministers arrived for the monthly meeting at the European Council.

Serbia will hold new elections in May, following the collapse of the governmental coalition over the weekend.

Nationalist Serb Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica dissolved his government at the weekend after failing to force a decision suspending ties with the EU as long as its members backed Kosovo's independence. A new poll is slated for May 11

EU officials, who openly supported the re-election of pro-Western Serbian President Boris Tadic last month, made clear they saw the poll as a chance for Serbs to tell their leaders they want to pursue EU ties despite the loss of the cherished province.

"I think it is important to say that Europe needs Serbia and Serbia needs Europe. Were Serbia to sink down into self-isolation, it would clearly be to the detriment of the economy, of politics, of whatever, of Serbia, but also of the entire region. It would have decidedly negative effects," said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, just back from a visit to Kosovo.

"Elections are always a risky business, that's the nature of democracy. And, we will just have to wait and see. I mean, it looks like the elections are going to be on May 11, it hasn't been announced yet as far as I know, the President was going to do something today, so we will see. It's a long time until May 11. A week is a long time in politics, and two months is a very long time in Balkan politics," Bildt also said.

A majority of the EU's 27 member states have recognised the independence of the overwhelmingly Albanian territory, which seceded from Serbia last month. The EU has begun deploying a police and justice mission to help supervise the new state's institutions, causing deep anger in Belgrade.

The EU has initialled a so-called Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Belgrade as a first step on the long road to membership, but has refused to sign the accord until Serbia cooperates fully to arrest war crimes indictees.

British Secretary of State David Milliband said the EU should send positive signals to Serbia to try to ensure a pro-European government emerged on May 11.

"We've very strongly argued that there must be a hand of friendship from the European Union to Serbia and that must remain and I am sure that it will remain because there is a shared view right across all of the 27 countries of the EU that we have a responsibility to ensure the Serbian people know that we remain committed to ensuring that they have a strong place in the European Union in the future.,' Milliband said.

Moderates such as Tadic say Serbia should continue to deepen EU ties, while nationalists want a freeze on relations with Brussels as long as the bloc backs Kosovo's independence.