Serbia rejects UN legal ruling on Kosovo's secession

Their non-binding decision found no reason to prohibit the Serbian province's declaration, made after nine years of de facto independence.

Belgrade, which lost Kosovo after a Nato bombing campaign, argues the move violated its territorial integrity.

The US welcomed the ruling and urged European nations to unite behind it.

Kosovo's government hopes the result will prompt many countries that have not recognised an independent Kosovo to follow the 69 states that have done so.

The decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague opens up the possibility that Serbia will fight in the UN General Assembly to solve the dispute through negotiations, the BBC's Mark Lowen reports from Belgrade.

Other countries facing their own secessionist problems, from Spain to China, may view the result with concern, our correspondent notes.

"Serbia will never recognise the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo," Serbian President Boris Tadic told reporters in Belgrade after the ruling.

Mr Tadic, a reformist, stressed that Serbia would not resort to violence and would prefer to negotiate a compromise with Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders.

He acknowledged the ruling was "a difficult decision for Serbia" but said Belgrade would continue to try for a UN resolution that would urge both sides to start a dialogue.

Russia, which has historic ties with Serbia, said its position of not recognising Kosovo's independence remained unchanged.

In Spain, the biggest of the five EU states not to have recognised Kosovo, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Madrid respected the court ruling. The spokesperson would not be drawn on whether it would lead Spain to reconsider its decision on non-recognition.

Cyprus reaffirmed its support for Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity "which includes the Kosovo and Metohija province"; Kazinform cites BBC.

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