Budapest  - The presidents of Croatia and Hungary on Friday said they hoped that Europe-friendly forces would win parliamentary elections in Serbia scheduled for Sunday.

The election is being billed as a choice between closer ties to Europe with eventual European Union membership and an uncertain future dominated by nationalist politics.

The ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS) is tipped to be strongest in parliament, closely followed by President Boris Tadic's pro-European Democratic Party (DS).

However, Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom said that regardless of the result, the door for Serbia to further integrate into Europe should be left open.

Serbia recently signed a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, which is the first step on the road to full membership.

Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, who was in Budapest for a one-day visit, also said that his nation hoped to close talks on EU membership next year and said Hungary had been a big help in this process. (dpa)