BELGRADE, Jan. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- The future status talks on Kosovo have been postponed until February following the death of Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova, the spokeswoman for the chief UN negotiator said Saturday.

    Hua Jiag said direct talks scheduled for Wednesday in Vienna were postponed "due to the mourning period."

    The talks, originally set for late January, will determine whether the Albanian majority in Kosovo can gain independence from Serbia.

    Rugova, who heads Kosovo's negotiating team for the status talks, died of lung cancer on Saturday at the age of 61. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in September 2005 and had been undergoing treatment at his residence in Kosovo's capital Pristina.

    Since 1990s, Rugova has been at the forefront of the Kosovo Albanian drive for independence. Observers said Rugova's death will cast shadows on the forthcoming status talks on Kosovo, which has been under UN administration since June 1999. Enditem