EU sees unity on Kosovo despite recognition rift

By Paul Taylor

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union expects to reach agreement this weekend to take a supervisory role in Kosovo even though half a dozen member states will not initially recognize the breakaway Serbian province's independence.

Kosovo's leaders are expected to declare independence on Sunday despite opposition from Serbia and Russia.

"It is already more or less clear. The European Union will send a mission to Kosovo to replace the United Nations stabilization one," Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the EU presidency, told a Polish newspaper.

"Kosovo has been under U.N. administration for 10 years. In practice, it's a kind of EU protectorate," he told the daily Dziennik in an interview published on Friday.

The decision to launch the 2,000-strong police and justice mission with an EU civil administrator was to be approved at midnight on Saturday (2300 GMT on Friday) unless any of the 27 EU countries raised a last-minute objection, diplomats said.

EU foreign ministers will discuss their response to Kosovo's decision on Monday.

Diplomats said up to 20 EU countries including the major powers were likely to recognize the new state rapidly but at least six -- Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, Spain, Bulgaria and Romania -- have indicated they will not do so immediately.

Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Marcoullis told Reuters: "Our position remains the same: we will not recognize a unilateral declaration of independence. Our position is based on principles of the U.N. charter, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and the role of the U.N. Security Council."

ONE VOICE?

Despite the likely absence of full international recognition, the European Commission and the World Bank are already planning a donors' conference to help build Kosovo's shattered economy and tackle mass unemployment.

A Commission spokeswoman confirmed the conference was in preparation and said it would probably be held in June.

Rupel sought to play down the differences over recognition, saying all member states agreed the future of both Kosovo and Serbia lay in Europe -- code for eventual EU membership.

"It is not the independence declaration that is most important," he said. "Of course, there have been doubts or negative feelings in some countries. But there are not that many after all.

"When the moment comes, I think the EU will speak with one voice." Diplomats said the EU ministers would discuss a declaration on Kosovo at their monthly meeting, while leaving recognition to individual member states.

A presidency source said ministers would recall EU leaders agreed with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in December that the status quo in Kosovo was unsustainable and stressed the need to move towards a settlement, essential for regional stability.