Kosovo's parliament on Friday elected a moderate law professor as the province's new president, clearing the way for the start of negotiations on Kosovo's future status.(Xinhua photo)

BELGRADE, Feb. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Kosovo's parliament on Friday elected a moderate law professor as the province's new president, clearing the way for the start of negotiations on Kosovo's future status.

    In a third round of voting, the 120-seat parliament elected Fatmir Sejdiu Kosovo's second president since the 1999 war with an 80-vote majority, while 12 lawmakers were against and 17 abstained from voting.

    The 54-year-old replaces late pro-independence leader Ibrahim Rugova, who died of lung cancer last month.

    "You've honored me today by electing me the president of our country, Kosovo," Sejdiu said in his inaugural speech, pledging he would ensure the democratic functioning of all Kosovan institutions.

    Considered a political moderate, Sejdiu is a longtime Rugova ally and has served as a member of Kosovo's parliament since 2001.He also holds a law doctorate and is a professor at Pristina University.

    The vote paves the way for face-to-face talks between the ethnic Albanian leaders and Serbia to determine the province's future. The U.N.-mediated negotiations have been delayed several times, most recently by the death of Rugova.

    "I assure you I will lead the negotiating team as president Rugova created it, to finish this process as soon as possible within 2006," Sejdiu told the assembly.

    A part of Serbia-Montenegro, Kosovo has been run by the United Nations and NATO since mid-1999, when the alliance drove out forces of the former Yugoslavia.

    Kosovo's future status has long been a bitter subject between Belgrade and Kosovo's Albanian majority who are pushing for independence from Serbia. Enditem