The nationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS) has a clear lead in the country's elections, early results suggest.

An election monitoring group said the Radicals had taken 28.5% of the vote, but they are not expected to find partners to form a governing coalition.

The pro-EU Democratic Party (DS) and Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) were credited with 22% and 17% respectively.

EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss the bloc's ties with Belgrade and the future of Kosovo.

"The majority voted for forces that are democratic and pro-European," said Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, as he arrived.

Serbia's electoral commission said turnout was about 62% of the 6.6 million eligible voters.

'Vicious campaign'

After the first projections were announced, the SRS candidate for prime minister, Tomislav Nikolic, said: "We have won as we had expected."

"Despite running against the parties led by the prime minister and the president (Boris Tadic) and their vicious campaigns against us, we proved our strength," Mr Nikolic said.