February 13, 2008 - 13:57 AMT
Serbia urges UN Security Council meeting
Moscow baked Serbia's call for an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Thursday to discuss Kosovo's expected declaration of independence.

Serbia's U.N. Ambassador Pavle Jevremovic said Tuesday his government wants council members to consider "an extremely grave situation" in the Serbian province of Kosovo, where final preparations are taking place for a unilateral declaration of independence.

He said such a declaration would violate a 1999 U.N. resolution providing for Kosovo to be administered by the U.N. and NATO troops and Serbia's territorial integrity, the IHT reports.

Contrary to U.S. and majority of the EU member states, Moscow opposes unilateral proclamation of Kosovo's independence.

Serbia's Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica warned that Belgrade will declare the independence proclamation illegal.