Serbian President Boris Tadic said Thursday that Serbia definitely wants to become a member of the EU, and that it will never give up on protecting its integrity in Kosovo.

Those are the two key points of Serbia's current and future policy, Tadic said at a ceremony in Pozarevac, marking 180 years of the Serbian Armed Forces' elite Guard unit.

He stressed that Serbia takes care of its people, wherever they may live, and added that it runs a peaceful policy.

Tadic emphasized that both the EU and Kosovo are goals and strategic directions for Serbia's foreign policy, adding that "the participation in any international forums will be in accordance with those principles."

The president noted that it is extremely important for all citizens, institutions and political parties to stand united on those goals.

"We extend an offer of reconciliation to everyone, because today we need unity," said Tadic.

He remarked that Serbia is a key factor in southeastern Europe, stressing that instability in Serbia brings instability in the entire Balkans.

Tadic pointed out that stability in Serbia creates the necessary requirements for the development of southeastern Europe and brings benefits to all people who live in the region.

The president stated that the Serbian military also has its place among all those goals, and not just in the present, but in the future as well, and he expressed the country's willingness to continue investing in the military in spite of all its hardships.

Besides the president, the ceremony was attended by Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac and Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Miloje Miletic.

President Boris Tadic said on May 6 that Serbia definitely wanted to become a member of the European Union, but would never, not for any price, give up on its integrity in Kosovo and Metohija.

While celebrating 180 years of the Serbian Army Guard unit in Pozarevac, Tadic said that Serbia would approach all international forums in line with those two principles of Serbia.

Tadic said that Serbia was a democratic country which pursued a peaceful policy and was doing all it could to safeguard peace and stability in South East Europe.

Guard Day was celebrated in memory of Djurdjevdan (George's Day) in 1830 when Prince Milos Obrenovic issued a decree and formed the first company of the Prince's Guard.

Prince Milos founded the first infantry company of the guard with 149 reputable young men for security purposes, because of the Djak uprising which took place a few years earlier.

Today's unit arose through the reformation of the Guard Brigade into the Guard on Nov. 30, 2006.