this is r t these are all top stories this saturday afternoon observers in syria have suspended their activities because of escalating violence first developing news just coming in the last week moscow has denied the pentagon's claims that a russian military cargo ship is carrying weapons and troops to syria befalling that up as the news continues here on r.t. also the final round of egypt's presidential election is underway this weekend but many are left disenchanted by the choices before them the runoff is between a muslim brotherhood candidate and ousted leader hosni mubarak's last prime minister. also the euro's future is on the line as greeks are set for a key vote on sunday between war cuts and returning to the drachma it's fear the

greek exit could split the eurozone apart. serbia hopes to receive e.u. approval later this year to open accession talks for the twenty seven nation bloc next then are to speaks to the serbian ambassador to the u.k. who talks about his country's new president and relations with the e.u. both key to his future. today i'm talking to the serbian ambassador to the u.k. dan popovich the victory of the new president and former nationalist opposition leader thomas last nickel it surprised many outside. the puppets did it surprise you. to an extent yes it was actually the economy that was the topic the most important topic of the electoral campaign and the perception of the. general population was actually such that they were not satisfied with the

performances of the economy so. contrary to the perceptions of some service some. more important quote unquote issues like he'll perspective so serbia or course a war were not in the focus of the complain the economy was and so what were the social factors that led up to his victory would you say the unemployment rate is as high as twenty five percent and this is the most important factor that actually. the majority of. voters so given the environment which is actually globally fair brought to the economic growth actual performances of serbia's economy are perceived as on the statistics by the majority of voters

and that's the outcome what does present mcclish promise to bring to the table under these circumstances. his or tory was concentrated on the economic issues d. facilitation of foreign investments improving of the. investment climate in the country and reduction in the corruption. scale this namely there is a perception among the voters that the corruption still remains a major problem and this isn't by. his supporters was at these issues so majority of voters did accept that and what about relationships with the outside world is is the new president's victory a rejection of target rapprochement with the west i would say so namely the most

important difference between the two thousand and eight and two thousand and eight toric of mr lee college is his move towards the political central positioning of his newly established serbian progressive party as a pro european the one we see across a movement towards the right wing and mr nicol it is traditionally a right wing politician is this part of that movement the thing turn extent yes although the clear cut distinctions between right and left in serbia's political arena warrant i wrote these really made namely there is a lot of left wing populists the rhetorically and some right oriented political parties some by survivors but generally after four years of predominantly left

oriented to government led by two social democratic parties like the democratic party and socialist party of serbia. having a majority which is explaining itself it's something different and does that make serbia sort of psychologically a part of europe in that it's subject to the same social trends say so yes. there are trends that can be followed throughout the region not just in serbia and i'm content because of these the. that's. what policy shift do you expect to see in president micheletti government when we speak about the policies i think their economy would be. in focus because as i said that was the only important topic on the elections very tough decisions have to be made by the new

government. in dept and this is now high it exceeded forty five percent of the g.d.p. which is said to limit established by the law so there is very small room for additional. independence on the other hand the deficit is running high between four and five percent of g.d.p. and the. rate of growth which is actually just above the zero rate we do not have much room for more nervous but to enter into a very strict. domain of measures to be implemented in the months to come so in fact it seems as if the rest of europe if you like is moving away slightly from austerity electing governments

who don't support austerity whereas it's moving towards things where we see how the new government would formulate its policies we also have to see the newly elected french government after the elections in june this year. change the course of of the economy it is easy to talk against austerity but to implement an alternative scenarios something different we've talked a lot about europe but that mr nicholas his first visit as president elect was made to russia what should we read into that. it is my understanding that mr nikolay in his capacity as the then president of serbian progress who party was invited to the congress of united russia party. or his party's sister party in russia

to return to the congress of that political group so that was something which was prearranged before the election results and the whole show was the relevant to mr nicolle each is giving it to a different way so. i would like to. get through with russia they are already excellent relations and i think that there is another additional room for for improving these relations as a diplomat do you think it's possible as president necklet wishes to be a country with two duals one looking to the east and one into the west well yes i have a lot of examples. with such policies some very good friends of russia for instance bulgaria or creation. members or are becoming members of the u. i don't see why shouldn't serbia. become

a member of the european union provided all the conditional disarm at. the same time keep. relations with major economic partner as russia is anyhow you with russia are part of the us not the force there are stumbling blocks they want material. being a fully fledged member of the e.u. one of them is possibly nato membership which president nicholas says that he would never take on and the other is the recognition of course of a. mistake and it has already made it clear that if serbia has to choose between recognizing cost of a on the e.u. then it can forget about the e.u. there is nothing new in the formulation as you cited namely the same formulation as were made by former president so b s national assembly had adopted five six years ago. declaring the military you truly to have serbia.

within the present constellation is politically determined not to become the member of nato. to sion plame kosovo as a part of the country so no politician. disobey the basic principle as stated in the constitution of the country he's already wrote the votes as well hasn't he there were deep sort of undone some of the work that was done to restore relations with serbia's neighbors the leaders of croatia slovenia and those they have said they won't come to the inauguration. and it's denied that genocide take a cut in. the lawyer as i told you in my previous life i was a professor or through all so. judgments off a court particular bearing in mind the international court of justice are something that up. per definition. the facts that are established i

think that. national parliament adopted two years ago the declaration condemning the crime that happened in srebrenica and that was committed against the most young muslims living as it was defined by the international court of justice judgement as president nicholas now rejected that there is that what we should see and that you will have to talk to him not sure what how the things are now developing but. what i know is that the president also condemned the tragic. and serious crime enormous crime committed instead and we had this as a recession of the national assembly of serbia what do you think the e.u. has got to offer us given the debt crisis going on in your country but also the

crisis going on inside the european union the e.u. has twenty seven member states and twenty eighth is preparing to enter the year two thousand and thirteen i do not know of any that is trying to leave the european union. so there are some values that are inherited in the european union. are exceeding the present day problems the problem solve the recession the crisis in the eurozone within three or four years we will have another set of problems and them the recession which is behind us so things are always changing but geographically politically culturally. as all other countries in the region does belong to this neighborhood the neighborhood that's integrated the european union we are

speaking about the world for all we are speaking about the economic. environment that could be. providing incentives for fourteen direct investments. aimed at increasing employment in serbia and sawing the most important history of these two off on a moment of thought or dimension if push came to shove which would be the more important relationship to separate one the one with the e.u. or the one with russia well i would again try not to. explain these relations as being contradictory to the contrary i think that they represent the comp complimentary value for the country like. is aimed. towards having the best possible relations with russia while

keeping its european path open the president told that to president putin when he recently paid a visit to or to moscow. thank you very much thank you.

observers in syria have suspended their activities because of escalating violence that news through in the last hour or two main time moscow has denied the pentagon's claims that a russian military cargo ship is carrying troops and weapons to syria. also had loving from r.t. today a final round of egypt's presidential election underway but many are left disenchanted by the choices before them the run off is between a muslim brotherhood candidate and i was the leader hosni mubarak's last prime minister. and the future is on the line as greeks are set for a key vote on sunday between more cuts all returning to the drachma it's feared a greek exit could split the eurozone apart. months it was due to leave for europe the sport goes on underway now russian fans no doubt looking forward of course to tonight's game with the greeks the year was but

a cheer for the greeks as well they're going to hope they're going to win their team with a great chance of making the quarterfinals on russia do have a good chance all that do you need is a draw with a saving but they do have some selection problems kevin now i've got the details just what about the greek for you go out just what the great they have to win tonight otherwise they will go they have a few selection problems themselves really you have to say they are the underdogs draw the favorites but it's by no means done and that. welcome to the sport and these are the headlines selection woes russia's inferential midfielder's video on off is ruled out of tonight's crucial showdown with greece at the european championships. while host poland prepared to face the czech republic in a winner takes all crashing. and tiger woods grabbed his share of the needed u.s.

open while dong the rory mcilroy go home early. let's start there with the euros by russia are looking to reach the quarter finals this evening just a draw against greece in their last game in group a would be enough although midfielder constantine's that he on off will not start due to an illness studies the latest and will be replaced by denny screws you cough with more from the russian camp his rich poor thing. russia's destiny is in their own hands as they take on greece on saturday while all dick advocaat side needs is a draw in order to make the knockout stages and russia fight and solves a great position of a moment with four points from the first two games i'm really sure that we will go through and we are very focused we must go on the peach and win the game we don't feel relaxed and we super must win the next match it's a pretty simple thing and i'm sure we will play well dick advocaat is likely to stick with the same side that has played in the first two games against poland and the czech republic and in all her fairness russians i was even playing quite well while the only real concern is about alexander cares

a common attack and he's in pittsburgh strikers had ten attempts on goal but is yet to hit the target so far in this tournament and his failure to find that will certainly be a concern nevertheless the twenty nine year old actually played very well on his manager craig quite a number of opportunities from players like alan's ago of an unfair shaaban so i do not really think he will drop to the substitute bench and. replace him. you know i can't say too much about the lineups but cozy cove is a player who will take his opportunities and he can score a goal out of nothing even though he may not play that well he's a player who can score goals and he's been doing that his whole career and he won't change a little bit at this moment in time he's not too happy for russia have actually come up against the greeks in last two european championships and of war on both occasions last actual meeting between the two sides was actually just seven months ago in athens when the two sides played out of one one draw so the two sides all know each other very well. yes it's true we didn't play that great in the second

half against poland back that had to do with losing the ball or necessarily in that game but the first half was very good i thought it wasn't too many chances for either team and in the second half played better so we will just have to improve as well but as i said russia's destiny is certainly in their own hands always need as a draw against a greek side but really failed to impress so far this tournament as they only have one point from the first two games and russia played to anything like their potential should have no problem whatsoever in making the knockout stages. hearty warsaw. but i have a quick look at greece they are bottom of the group but even a one they'll win for them this evening could see them progressive poland in the czech republic draw in the game so they know they can't just rely on a sturdy defense they will have to attack as well. as one of the first of all the players up to reach the maximum of their sort of it was of course not a matter of who scores more than it is up to the team the whole team has to win and win of so all the players have to be focused on our objective of this which is to

win. so this is group a rush you're on top there with four points but they are not home and dry yes in fact every team still has a chance of making the last take the quarter final place guaranteed to the winner of the second game between co-host poland and the czech republic and poland have a whole host of injury worries defender damien polk quest along with midfielder. polanski picked up injuries again trash so they'll be given like fitness test but polanski made it quite clear to reporters what the team's intentions are. the permutations of what could happen in the group are not good for us to be thinking about. every team's backside i'm sorry for this expression but that is really our mindset of the tournament put on the. straight talk about the czech republic meanwhile are sweating over the availability of their midfield playing make a thomas visit thirty one year old will have a late fitness test while this better news for goalkeeper pettitte check is

expected to start despite being only light training yesterday coach michael meanwhile to back them. up from severe i have been very happy with the tournament come dition so far in poland and the criticism he has been receiving perhaps not playing as well as some expected does not concern us i hope our fans will support us as a team not as individuals will remain and see him. going for no further than the tournament sweden they lost three two to england in kiev last night liverpool striker. carol had put england one up with a thumping header in the first half but just after the break sweden level through a glen junction nine go and then went in front thanks from all of mellberg however a super sub theo walcott then hit an equaliser from the edge of the box before crossing the danny welbeck when a rollercoaster ride them for the english who were delighted to get their first win over sweden at the tournament. game so far toward the only real option.

to go go go it is a very good result a very good game of football but england deserved a wintery today a. very special. it was an exciting game to have so this is a great day england are from four points along with france who lead the way after beating ukraine two nil last night and watching not one partridge. ukraine will. while a victory backings ukraine side with its resigned champions would have seen them goes to to the quarterfinals on their european debut after coming back to beat sweden two one in game one but after four minutes the heavens opens to red show rain in donetsk tearing the entire stadium apart from a few hardy souls for the best part of an hour and when the players did you imagine it was a first off a few chances but the second half was a lot livelier does not a captain one hundred chip janko went on i'm a zero on the left hand side the ukraine but he fired over the bar that was the cue

that for the french to show their class and just why they're on the way to two matches some fantastic midfield play fantasy to very many on the right side and he made one mistake finding like pass the keeper on the left hand side man stimulation on fifty five minutes the french made it to no similar build up like this time karim benzema with a lethal final pass by the younger mind he made no mistakes to know that he did make a mistake he endeavored to hit the post for one zero one with the keeper and you. right couldn't find their way back into you know was how it finished france unbeaten on twenty three matches now with winds while ukraine has three points in group d. it's all looking very tight. so now will stay with football because tito villanova has been officially unveiled as the new barcelona coach after signing a two year deal with the catalan side the forty two year old stepped up after assisting form a bafta for guardiola the quest is the club to a staggering forty one title out of the possible nineteen over the past four years

before guardiola called it a day at the end of the season last month villanova has a tall order to follow but he is not intimidated by the familiar touch. i'm not worried about any possible comparisons between myself i will just try to do my job well and it will give it just as much time as it did when i was an assistant coach because i give my all you can be so i'm not worried about it and you may not . and finally in golf there have been mixed fortunes for the top guns in the u.s. open is tiger woods grabs a share of the lay dead but top ranked luke donald and holder rory mcilroy missed the cut trailing by three shots behind surprise overnight leader michael thompson would enter the second round with guns blazing as the former world number one third of their however three straight bogeys from the fifth dented his challenge massively but the fourteen time major winner was able to recover from that is two

more birdies on the back nine to the american car a past seventy a move and move into a joint two stroke lead along with countryman jim furyk and david thomas while donald marker we failed to recover from less than perfect first round and bowed out but both are staying up big. just. the greens to reduce the speed. and put a little bit better yes they could have ground scored today in maybe been. somewhere decently place where we can but it wasn't to be and try and learn from it and come back stronger next time you know what i'm just trying to see the positives you know. and i do see positives i see that i can get shots on and give myself chances and. feel like i had some good parts it just didn't go in. you know play all of a sudden at all turn and you know. play

a good tournament or play a couple good rounds. say so that is the end of the sport at the moment that will build up from the euros coming up in an expletive and in a few. well

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