Serbia warns EU not to send mission to Kosovo

By Ellie Tzortzi

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serb Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica warned the European Union on Tuesday that sending a supervisory mission to the breakaway province of Kosovo could damage relations with Serbia.

"Anyone who wants Serbia as a partner has to know Serbia will accept partnership only as a whole country, not as a country cut in two," Kostunica said in a statement.

Serbia "emphatically rejects in advance an unlawful decision on the arrival of an EU mission" and "expects the EU to respect its stance that a EU mission cannot come to its territory, Kosovo, without a new Security Council resolution," he said.

The EU is preparing to deploy a 1,600-strong police and justice mission to Kosovo. Western officials are concerned the mainly Serb north of the province will reject their presence.

Belgrade initialed a Stabilization and Association Agreement, the first step towards EU membership, in October.

Serb rhetoric hardened in the run-up to a December 10 deadline for a negotiated deal on Kosovo's fate. Mediators reported no room for compromise between Serbia's offer of autonomy and the Kosovo Albanian majority's demand of independence.

Albanian leaders said on Monday they would start talks with the United States and European Union on declaring independence, likely in early 2008. Washington regards Kosovo independence as the only option for stability in the Balkans.

The EU also seems to be edging to a common position that would allow the bloc to take over supervision of the province.