Serbia To Shun Regional Conference In Kosovo Row

The office of Serbian President Boris Tadic has said that he will not attend the EU-Balkans summit this weekend in Slovenia because of a row over how Kosovo would be represented there.

Serbia had said it would not take part unless its former province of Kosovo attends as a UN-run protectorate, rather than as an independent state.

Tadic's office said, "Unfortunately the organizers did not follow this principle and that prevents the Serbian president from attending the conference."

Kosovo's Albanian majority declared independence in 2008, but Belgrade refuses to recognize it as an independent entity.

compiled from agency reports