February 14 Serbia's parliament overwhelmingly rejected a UN plan that would give virtual independence to the breakaway province of Kosovo, reports RIA Novosti The rejection sends a strong signal that Serbia will be unlikely to compromise over its southern province, meaning a resolution to the dispute over Kosovo's final status will probably have to be imposed by the UN Security Council.

The proposal, drawn up by UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari, does not explicitly call for Kosovo's independence, but envisions granting the province its own flag, anthem, army, constitution and the right to apply for membership in international organizations.

Serbian President Boris Tadic told the parliament that the plan "essentially opens the way for an independent Kosovo, which is a violation of the essential principles of the UN charter that guarantees inviolability of internationally recognized states."

Kosovo has been a UN protectorate since 1999, when NATO bombing halted former President Slobodan Milosevic's crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists in the province. Nearly 10,000 ethnic Albanians were killed in the onslaught, and almost 1 million were forced to flee their homes. Serbia has offered broad autonomy for Kosovo, which it considers the medieval cradle of its statehood. But Kosovo Albanians, who account for 90 percent of the population, demand complete secession.