The April 29 signing with the European Union of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia brought mixed reactions, with protagonists hailing it as a "happy day" but detractors in Serbia describing as an "act of Judas" by Serbian president Boris Tadic.

An SAA, involving a tradeoff in reforms by a state in exchange for trade and aid, is widely seen as a prelude towards further progress towards European integration. The process of an SAA with Serbia has had fits and starts because EU members, notably the Netherlands and Belgium, have had reservations, wanting to see Serbia committed to co-operation with the Hague war crimes tribunal before allowing Belgrade to benefit from an SAA. The signing of the deal has been seen as a move by the EU to encourage pro-Western political forces in Serbia ahead of the country's May 11 elections.

Dimitrij Rupel, foreign minister of Slovenia, the country which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said: "This is a good day, a happy day for both Serbia and the EU. Europe is ready to go a common way with Serbia" and now "the European future of Serbia is in the hands of the Serbian people," Rupel was reported as saying by EUObserver after the deal was signed in Luxembourg.

Tadic, who flew from Belgrade especially for the signing ceremony after a call from Rupel earlier on April 29 said he was also "extremely pleased that Serbia is entering a contractual relationship with the EU."

Serbia's deputy prime minister for European Integration, Bozidar Djelic, said: "We need to tie our little boat to the big European ship...I'm a Serb patriot and I'm convinced that it is a true patriotic day today."

Serbian news website b92 quoted Serbian prime minister Vojislav Kostunica as saying that the signing of the SAA was an anti-state and anti-constitutional act and meant that Serbia would recognise Kosovo, which uniterally broke away from Serbia on February 17 2008, as independent.

Ministers from the Democratic Party and G17 Plus said that the SAA was an economic agreement above all and in no way endangered Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Criticism came from Serbia's DSS party, with spokesperson Andreja Mladenović telling Tanjug news agency that regardless of Tadić's plans to sign what Mladenovic referred to as the Solana Agreement, Serbia would never accept this signature, and that the new parliament and government set to be elected on May 11 would annul it.

"We are sending a message to Boris Tadić that his signature is not the signature of Serbia. He is in fact putting a seal of Judas of his party coalition to the Solana Agreement," Mladenović said.

On April 28, Mladenovic told B92 that should the Democrats decide to sign the SAA with the EU, Tadić would face a formal investigation to determine whether he had violated the Serbian constitution.

Serbia's largest opposition party, the Serb Radicals (SRS), through deputy president Dragan Todorović said: "The new parliament, once it convenes after May 11, will initiate proceedings for Tadić's recall, because he violated the constitution and betrayed Serbia.

From Pristina, news website Kosova Live quoted Kosovo president Fatmir Sejdiu as having said that the EU should not make concessions with Serbia over independent Kosovo, which had been recognised by 18 EU member states, but Sejdiu said that he was not against the offer of EU made to Serbia for signing the SAA.