THE SERBIAN GOVERNMENT DESPERATELY WANTS TO RESUME FROZEN PRE-MEMBERSHIP TALKS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THEIR RECENT SUSPENSION COULD WEIGH ON THE ECONOMY, REUTERS QUOTED FINANCE MINISTER MLADJAN DINKIC AS SAYING ON SUNDAY. SPEAKING DURING THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN LONDON, DINKIC SAID SERBIA HAD CONTINUED TO ATTRACT FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT SINCE BRUSSELS FROZE THE NEXT ROUND OF SO-CALLED STABILITY AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT TALKS, SET FOR MAY 11. BUT HE SAID A LONGER-TERM BREAKDOWN OF TALKS COULD HURT THE FAST-GROWING SERBIAN ECONOMY. "FOR SURE I DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING GOOD FROM THIS. I CAN ONLY TELL YOU THAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS DESPERATELY TO FINISH (COMPLETE) THIS COOPERATION," DINKIC SAID. "I HOPE THIS WILL NOT INTERRUPT INVESTMENT." THE EU FROZE TALKS AFTER SERBIA FAILED TO HAND OVER WAR CRIMES FUGITIVE RATKO MLADIC TO THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL, BUT HAS SIGNALLED THEY MIGHT STILL GO AHEAD IF MLADIC WAS WHISKED OFF TO THE HAGUE AT THE LAST MOMENT. DINKIC SAID LAST WEEK HE WOULD RESIGN IF MLADIC WAS NOT HANDED OVER BY OCT. 1. DINKIC ALSO ANNOUNCED ON SUNDAY SERBIA'S PLANS TO RESTART NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND ON A NEW AGREEMENT. LAST WEEK HE SAID SERBIA PLANNED AN EARLY REPAYMENT OF ITS ENTIRE DEBT TO THE IMF BY MID-2007. ALTHOUGH SERBIA WAS READY TO START NEGOTIATIONS, DINKIC SAID, THIS WAS UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN IN JUNE WHEN THE IMF MISSION IS DUE TO GO TO BELGRADE.
