Serbia will retaliate against the West if Kosovo becomes independent

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Serbia's parliament on Wednesday adopted a resolution that threatens to halt the country's integration into the European Union and cut off diplomatic ties with Western countries if they recognize Kosovo's independence. The resolution - passed with 220 votes in favor, 14 against and three abstentions - also rejects the idea of the EU setting up a mission in Kosovo before the breakaway province's status is resolved, and denounces NATO for allegedly supporting the separatist Kosovo Albanians. The document obliges Serbian officials to reject Kosovo's statehood. Ethnic Albanians, who account for about 90 percent of Kosovo's 2 million people, have said they would proclaim independence early next year.