Serbia's parliament was set to adopt a resolution on Wednesday implicitly rejecting membership of the European Union and Nato if the West recognises the independence of Kosovo.
It had the backing of President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who lead the two main parties in Serbia's governing coalition, and was likely to win support from hard-line nationalists of the opposition Radical Party as well.
"Serbia will never accept the independence of Kosovo," Tadic told parliament. Serbia would continue its diplomatic campaign at a UN Security Council session on January 9, he said. Tadic, who is up for re-election in January, said that if Nato peacekeepers failed to protect Kosovo Serbs against violence "the Serbian Army is ready to help and protect (them), with the approval of all relevant international institutions and respecting international law.
Kostunica, who has been more combative and anti-Western in tone than his coalition partners, said the resolution was "our last line of defence". "It would send a message to Serbs in Kosovo...that they should ignore any unilateral declaration of independence as an illegal act," he said.
Kosovo's 90-percent ethnic Albanian majority, backed by the United States and Western European countries, is preparing to declare Kosovo's independence in the first months of 2008. Kosovo Serbs mostly live in a northern corner of the province, in effect partitioned already. "Kosovo is big enough for Serbs and Albanians," the prime minister added.
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