BELGRADE, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Kosovo parliament will adopt a statement of intent to proclaim independence on Feb. 17, just ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers, and the proclamation will take effect in early March, local media reported on Saturday.

    The allegations were confirmed at the European Union headquarters, the Serbian national news agency Tanjug reported, citing reports of Radio Television Kosovo (RTK).

    The European Union meeting on Feb. 18 could approve the start of the deployment of an EU mission in Kosovo charged with supervising the initial phase of independence for the ethnic Albanian-dominated Serbian province, which has been run by the UN mission since 1999.

    RTK reported that, during the period from Feb. 17 until early March, the Kosovo parliament will adopt the constitution and a package of laws envisaged within the proposals made by former UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari, who recommended independence under "international supervision."

    The state insignia of Kosovo, the flag and the seal, should also be determined, the provincial television station said.

    However, the sources in the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana's office on Saturday declined to comment on the allegations made by Pristina media.

    That is one of the options that they heard mentioned, the sources in Brussels told Tanjug, but pointed out that they knew ofother options as well.

    European diplomats say that, in any event, the declaration should occur before March 1, when Moscow takes the chair of the UN Security Council.

    Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council, where it has warned it will use its veto powers to block any such declaration in support of its traditional ally Serbia, which staunchly opposes Kosovo independence.

    Whatever the process, a transitional period of 120 days would follow as envisaged in the plan devised by Ahtisaari.

    The Ahtisaari plan, rejected by Belgrade and Moscow, was approved last year by Kosovo's parliament and was supported by the United States and several major EU countries, which want Kosovo authorities to respect it, according to analysts.

    Radio Deutsche Welle on Saturday carried a report by the German daily Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, which said, quoting diplomats from several European countries, that Kosovo will proclaim independence at an emergency session of parliament on Feb.17, and that most EU states, including Germany, will recognize the new state on March 10. 

Russian, Serbian presidential candidates discuss Kosovo

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    "We have come to express gratitude for the support given by Russia to Serbia, which is working for the preservation of Kosovo as part of its territory," Itar-Tass news agency quoted Nikolic assaying at the meeting. Full story

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    NATO is leading a 16,000-strong international force, or KFOR, in the region. NATO defense ministers held discussions with their colleagues from non-NATO troop contributing countries to KFOR on Thursday. Full story

4th batch of Chinese peacekeepers in Kosovo concludes mission

    BELGRADE, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen members of the 4th batch of the Chinese peacekeeping police in Kosovo on Monday concluded their 15-month mission and flew back home from Serbia's breakaway Kosovo capital of Pristina.

    Chief of the Chinese peacekeeping team Wang Guozhu said the Chinese police fulfilled their duties in Kosovo satisfactorily and got high opinions from the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), foreign colleagues and locals. Full story

UN chief warns of instability in Kosovo

    UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday uncertainty and a loss of momentum in the future status process of Kosovo could lead to a risk of instability, both in Kosovo and the wider region.

    Ban said in his latest report on the U.N. peacekeeping mission (UNMIK) in the province, "the parties are urged to reaffirm and act upon their declared commitments to refrain from any actions or statements that could endanger peace, incite violence or jeopardize security in Kosovo and the region."Full story