Brussels, 08/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - The president of the European Commission has welcomed the formation of a new government (pro-European) in Serbia. In a message addressed on Monday evening to the new prime minister, Mirko Cvetkovic, from the Democratic Party (DS), Mr Barroso welcomed the fact that the new coalition government, formed by the DS and Socialist Party had decided to prioritise continued reforms and the European integration of the country. Mr Barroso is also asking for the government to take “necessary steps” to guarantee full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). This full cooperation with the ICTY remains a condition that Belgrade has to meet before the stabilisation and association agreement (SAA) signed with the EU last May can be ratified and enter into force, asserted the Commission president. Mr Barroso also affirmed that implementation of the SAA “can pave the way towards candidate status” for Serbia. On Monday in his first government declaration, Prime Minister Cvetkovic affirmed that this objective was to get Serbia fully ready to join the EU in “four years”. (H.B./transl.rh)