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Serbia's pro-Western incumbent clinches narrow victory - 2

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Serbia's pro-Western incumbent Boris Tadic has been narrowly re-elected as president in a vote seen as a key test of the country's relations with Europe.
(Adds Russian MPs' comments in paras 9-14)

BELGRADE, February 4 (RIA Novosti) - Serbia's pro-Western incumbent Boris Tadic has been narrowly re-elected as president in a vote seen as a key test of the country's relations with Europe.

Tadic competed with nationalist challenger Tomislav Nikolic in Sunday's runoff, and with 99.8% of ballots counted, garnered 50.57% against Nikolic's 47.71%, according to the Electoral Commission. The remaining votes were declared invalid.

After the partial count was announced, Tadic told a crowd of supporters in Belgrade: "We want to go to Europe. We want to cooperate with the world."

The European Union's presidency holder, Slovenia, released a statement welcoming Tadic's re-election saying it would "accelerate its progress toward the EU, including candidate status."

The vote has come at a tense time for the Balkan nation, with its breakaway province of Kosovo set to unilaterally declare its independence within weeks.

In his campaign, challenger Nikolic offered a course away from the EU and towards closer ties with long-time ally Russia, which unlike Western powers supports Belgrade's position on Kosovo.

The close result has been received by analysts as a sign of deep divisions in Serbia, between pro-Western elements looking to a future in the EU, and hard line nationalists.

The re-elected Serb leader told supporters: "We want to say to the people of Kosovo that we'll never let them down. We need to work together to fulfill Serbia's potential."

A Russian senator said Tadic's victory could postpone the formal date for Kosovo seceding from Serbia as well as soften the event.

Mikhail Margelov, who chairs the Russian upper house international affairs committee, said that according to the media, the Kosovo Serbs voted for Nikolic. He said Tadic would hardly resort to "hard line" measures against countries recognizing Kosovo's independence.

"Russia believes any decision on the territory's status made without the UN Security Council will be illegal and will serve as a destroying precedent," he said.

A senior Russian MP said Moscow will cooperate with any Serb president elected by the people.

"Russia has occupied a clearly neutral position in this situation. Russia is ready to work with absolutely any Serb president backed by the country's population," the head of the lower house international affairs committee, Konstantin Kosachyov said.

He also said Russia would try and block Kosovo's independence at an international level, if the Serb province announces its sovereignty. "Russia should use every opportunity at its disposal to block Kosovo's admission to the UN as an independent state," Kosachyov said.

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