Serbia Says Will Not Recognize Independent Kosovo

Serbia will never recognize an independent Kosovo but will not use violence to prevent the country's ethnic Albanians from establishing their own state, Serbia's president said on Wednesday.

"Serbia will never recognize Kosovo's independence and will preserve its territorial integrity and sovereignty by all democratic means, legal arguments and diplomacy," President Boris Tadic of Serbia told the U.N. Security Council.

"Serbia will not resort to violence and war."

Kosovo's newly elected prime minister, ethnic Albanian former guerrilla Hashim Thaci, was also scheduled to address the 15-nation Security Council in a closed session.

Kosovo's nearly two million Albanians are expected to declare independence after Serbia's presidential elections later this month. But Belgrade is telling Serbs in Kosovo to ignore such a move, raising the prospect of an ethnic partition of the breakaway province.

Western diplomats said Wednesday's debate would not affect Kosovo's future status.

With Russia firmly on the side of Serbia, the diplomats said the United States and European Union believe there is no more the Security Council can do.

The EU would take over U.N. police and justice functions, with NATO troops continuing to maintain order as Kosovo declares independence, they said.

Russia, like China, the United States, France and Britain, is a permanent veto-wielding Security Council member.