BELGRADE, Serbia-A pro-Western group and a political party of the late leader Slobodan Milosevic signed a coalition agreement Friday that paves the way for the quick formation of Serbia's next government.

The deal involves the Democratic Party of President Boris Tadic and Ivica Dacic, who heads the Socialist party that was formed by Milosevic in the 1990s.

The two groups, formerly bitter rivals, promised the new government will seek to speed up Serbia's integration into the European Union and other Western institutions.

On May 11, Tadic's For a European Serbia alliance won the most votes in Serbia's national election, but it needed the Socialists' support to form a parliamentary majority.

"The new government will try to preserve the country's territorial integrity, continue its European integration and protect its state and national interests," Dacic said after the signing.

The Serbian parliament is expected to approve the new government next week, not Friday as originally planned, because lawmakers from rival nationalist parties imposed stalling tactics in order to postpone the inauguration as long as possible.

The new government will be led by pro-Western Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, 58, a member of Tadic's party and a low-key economic expert.

He will succeed outgoing nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who adopted anti-Western policies after the U.S. and European Union recognized the independence of Kosovo, Serbia's cherished province, early this year.

Following May's election, the Socialists initially negotiated with Kostunica and their former nationalist allies, but those talks broke off last month as the party decided to switch sides.

While the Socialists were led by Milosevic, they were blamed for inciting the Balkan wars and ruining Serbia's economy. The party has sought to shake off that image since Milosevic died in 2006 while on a trial for genocide at the U.N. war crimes court in The Hague, Netherlands.

Tadic has faced criticism from liberal Serbs for his decision to team up with the Socialists, but Western officials have said they would support any pro-European government in Serbia.

The West hopes a Cabinet led by Tadic's Democrats will press on with pro-Western reforms and deliver the remaining Serbian suspects to the U.N. war crimes court.