(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-11-20 11:20

BRUSSELS -- EU ministers on Monday warned Kosovo against any unilateral declaration of independence following weekend elections in the Serbian province, as Russia stressed such a move could destabilise the Balkans.

The leader of Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Hashim Thaci flashes a thumbs-up as he greets his supporters after claiming victory in Kosovo's parliamentary election, 18 November 2007. [Agencies]

The European Union wants Hashim Thaci, the former guerrilla leader who looks set to lead the government that emerges from Saturday's polls, to avoid any rash moves that could provoke Serbia and its ally Russia.

Noting a December 10 deadline for ending negotiations on the future status of the ethnic Albanian-majority province, EU foreign ministers called on Thaci to let the talks run their course, and do nothing to jeopardize international support.

"Kosovo should have her independence (but) it shouldn't be an unmanaged unilateral declaration," said Britain's European affairs minister Jim Murphy.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said: "We need on this issue a soft landing rather than a big bang. The Balkans is a rather fragile place."

Preliminary election results indicated that Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) had secured around 34 percent of the vote, well ahead of his nearest rival.

"The citizens of Kosovo sent the world a message," a triumphant Thaci said after claiming victory. "The strongest message was that Kosovo is ready (for) independence".

Serbia considers Kosovo an integral part of its territory and history, and is only willing to give it wider autonomy. Belgrade's ally Russia is blocking the UN Security Council from granting "supervised independence".

A negotiating troika of the EU, Russia and United States meets in Brussels on Tuesday, with a final round of talks likely to start in Vienna on November 26, but officials concede privately that a resolution is highly unlikely.

"After 100 days we have explored almost every humanly-known option for a squaring off of the circle of the status question," EU troika envoy Wolfgang Ischinger said before meeting with the ministers.

"We have dug really deep," he said. "I say this because one might be tempted to say: 'let's have another round'."

Indeed Russia has already done just that.

Last Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for the parties to be given more time to reach an agreement.

Then on Monday "an appeal was made to the leaders of the Kosovo Albanians to refrain from any action that could destabilise the region," Lavrov's ministry said.

The United States has said it would recognize an independent Kosovo, but the EU is divided, with countries like Cyprus and Spain concerned about a precedent that might encourage separatism at home.

Portugal, which chaired the Brussels meeting as current EU president, said that finding a common position on independence was "a very important factor" for stability in the Balkans

"We are not looking for more conflicts than the one we have now," said Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado.

An EU diplomat said the bloc wants "to work" with Thaci -- a former rebel fighter with little formal education -- to establish "an appropriate time frame to deal with a possible declaration" of independence.

But it is unclear whether Thaci would or even could convince Albanians to put their independence ambitions on hold again.

The EU failed to stop the war in Bosnia and the violent collapse of former Yugoslavia, and officials have expressed hope that good "coordination" with the new Kosovo government will reduce the chances of more unrest breaking out.

They also hope that Serbia and Russia will not derail the process.

"That Russia is going to be quite unhappy, almost as unhappy as Serbia with some of the elements of the scenario that is going to be unfolding, is quite clear," an EU diplomat said.

"But I see no reason that they would wish to contribute to an escalation scenario."