Pristina hails EU-Serbia deal over UN resolution on Kosovo

(PRISTINA) - Kosovo on Thursday hailed an EU-Serbia deal on a UN resolution which it said "throws off" any further negotiations on the status of the breakaway territory, government said in a statement.

"The government of Kosovo is pleased that a draft resolution prepared by Serbia is revoked from discussion and welcomes the decision of Serbia to accept a new draft resolution prepared by the EU and US," the government said.

"The (new) draft resolution throws off every possibility for negotiations on the political status of Kosovo," it added.

Serbia strongly opposes Kosovo's unilaterally proclaimed independence and still considers it as its southern province.

Belgrade said on Wednesday it was to submit a new draft resolution calling for "dialogue" but without any reference to the status of Kosovo.

The statement that "unilateral declaration of independence is an unacceptable means to solve territorial problems," as written in the first draft, would be excluded.

Serbia's government said the new draft resolution, which was to be debated later on Thursday before the UN General Assembly, "presents a compromise which Serbia has reached in cooperation with the European Union".

Belgrade insisted however that the draft "does not, in any way, recognise the independence" of ethnic Albanian majority Kosovo.

But Pristina said it was especially pleased to see that "the new draft resolution... is in full accordance with the reality created in Kosovo and the region," after the February 2008 declaration of independence.

"This draft resolution takes into consideration the (July) advisory opinion of the ICJ (International Court of Justice), which stated clearly that declaration of independence of Kosovo is in full accordance with the international law," the statement said.

Despite Serbia's fierce opposition, so far 70 states, including the United States and 22 of the 27 EU members, have recognised Kosovo as an independent state.