Kosovo declaration set for Sunday

Kosovo is expected to declare its independence from Serbia by next Sunday.

Kosovo is expected to declare its independence from Serbia by next Sunday.

The European Union will be invited to send a supervisory mission and Nato is to be asked to stay on at the head of a peacekeeping force in the breakaway province dominated by ethnic Albanians.

A senior political source denied speculation there would be a two-stage process, with a statement of intent next weekend and an actual declaration in March.

Kosovo hopes for quick recognition from the EU and United States, whose foreign ministers meet on Monday week.

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But Kosovo's minority Serbs plan a virtual secession of their own, with proposals to establish an "assembly" next Saturday in the Serb-dominated Mitrovica region of Kosovo's north, the Kosovo Albanian daily Zerireported.

It said the assembly was part of a Serb scheme to "create a separate political and territorial entity with special links to Serbia".

Serbia recently opened a government office to oversee public services in Mitrovica, saying it would "intensify" Belgrade's parallel network of services for Serbs.

The United Nations, which has administered Kosovo since Serb forces were expelled by Nato in 1999, called it a "provocative act".

"Everything must be done for [Kosovan] Serbs to remain on their land and to live safely as citizens of Serbia after an eventual unilateral declaration of independence," Serbia's Ministry for Kosovo said in a statement on Friday.

Analysts say Serbia wants to partition the territory, keeping control of the north, where it already provides health, education and administrative services.

Kosovo's independence move was delayed three times in the past year, in deference to Serb-ally Russia's insistence on continuing talks in search of an elusive compromise, and because of its explosive impact on Serbian politics.

There is considerable political division within Serbia about Kosovo and the ruling coalition is on the verge of collapse.

Parliament speaker Oliver Dulic told the Vecernje Novostinewspaper today that an early parliamentary election was one of the options to resolve the crisis, which will be discussed by pro-EU President Boris Tadic and nationalist Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica later this week.

"That will be a key meeting designed to stabilise the political situation in Serbia and will answer whether this coalition can function in the future," said Dulic.

If Mr Kostunica kept turning to hardline nationalist opposition parties to support his unbending position on Kosovo, the coalition would fall, Mr Dulic added.

Labour Minister Rasim Ljajic said everything in Serbia "had ground to a halt", adding: "This is a prelude to chaos."