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Nato confirms Kosovo commitment Nato-Russia tension over Kosovo
(about 1 hour later)
Nato has confirmed it will maintain its troop contingent in Kosovo to deter violence that may follow the collapse of talks on the Serb province's future. Nato and Russia have failed to narrow their differences over the future status of Kosovo ahead of Monday's UN deadline for an agreement.
At a meeting in Brussels, Nato foreign ministers are also expected to give the alliance's 16,000 Kosovo troops more leeway to tackle possible unrest. "Clearly the Russian position is different," said Nato spokesman James Appathurai after talks in Brussels.
Nato was criticised after it failed to prevent riots by ethnic Albanians in 2004 in which Serbs were attacked. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated Moscow's demand for negotiations to continue beyond Monday.
Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanians want independence, but Serbia opposes this. Nato has confirmed it will keep 16,000 troops in Kosovo - still a province of Serbia - to deter any violence.
The UN set a 10 December deadline for internationally-brokered talks to deliver agreement on Kosovo - but the talks have already ended without a deal.The UN set a 10 December deadline for internationally-brokered talks to deliver agreement on Kosovo - but the talks have already ended without a deal.
Ethnic Albanian leaders have warned they may declare independence unilaterally after the deadline lapses, prompting fears of a fresh outbreak of violence. Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanians want independence but Serbia opposes this.
Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said on Friday that Nato would "act resolutely against anyone who seeks to resort to violence". 'Process should move'
Fears of flare-up Speaking in Brussels on Friday, Mr Lavrov said Serbia had "presented a whole series of specific proposals, compromise proposals" which merited further negotiations on Kosovo's status.
The EU's mediator on Kosovo on Thursday criticised comments by Aleksandar Simic, an aide to Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who said war could be a "legal tool" to resolve the Kosovo issue if other methods failed. HAVE YOUR SAY The day Nato and UN leave the region, there will be war all over Paul, Netherlands class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3908&edition=1">Send us your comments
Kosovo's Albanian leaders want nothing less than independence But Mr Appathurai said "the Nato point of view is ... that the process should now move - that there needs to be movement towards resolution".
Earlier, Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Nato would "act resolutely against anyone who seeks to resort to violence".
Ethnic Albanian leaders have warned they may declare independence unilaterally after Monday's deadline lapses, prompting fears of a fresh outbreak of violence.
Kosovo's independence ambitions have the broad backing of the US and several EU nations.
The UN's top administrator in Kosovo, Martti Ahtisaari, has put forward a plan offering Kosovo "supervised independence".
The plan - accepted by the ethnic Albanians - would mean international agencies gradually steer Kosovo's institutions towards independence, while safeguarding the rights and property of the Serb minority.
But Russia has supported Serbia's stance at the UN Security Council, arguing that independence for Kosovo could provide dangerous inspiration for separatists elsewhere.
Risk of flare-up
Nato was criticised after it failed to prevent riots by ethnic Albanians in 2004 in which Serbs were attacked. Nineteen people died in the violence.
Kosovo's Albanian leaders want nothing less than independenceThe EU's mediator on Kosovo on Thursday criticised comments by Aleksandar Simic, an aide to Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who said war could be a "legal tool" to resolve the Kosovo issue if other methods failed.
"I do hope this statement was not authorised. I expect it to be retracted," Wolfgang Ischinger said."I do hope this statement was not authorised. I expect it to be retracted," Wolfgang Ischinger said.
Nato ministers agreed to keep the K-For peacekeeping force at its current level of 16,000.
Nato officials say they hope the commitment to keep the troops will have a calming influence.
The alliance and the UN were criticised over the handling of the 2004 riots that left 19 people dead and dozens of properties destroyed.
Russian opposition
Though technically part of Serbia, Kosovo has been administered by the UN for the last eight years.Though technically part of Serbia, Kosovo has been administered by the UN for the last eight years.
Belgrade's security forces were driven out of Kosovo by a Nato bombing campaign in 1999, launched to stop a violent Serb crackdown on ethnic Albanians. HAVE YOUR SAY The day Nato and UN leave the region, there will be war all over Paul, Netherlands class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3908&edition=1">Send us your comments Belgrade's security forces were driven out of Kosovo by a Nato bombing campaign in 1999, launched to stop a violent Serb crackdown on ethnic Albanians.
Thousands of international peacekeepers have been deployed in the province to prevent a return to violence.
Russia has supported Serbia's stance at the UN Security Council, arguing that independence for Kosovo could provide dangerous inspiration for separatists elsewhere.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also attending Friday's talks in Brussels.
Kosovo's independence ambitions have the broad backing of the US and several EU nations but it is unclear when they will allow a declaration of independence by the province's ethnic Albanian leaders.