Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said the European Union shouldn’t recognize Kosovo’s independence and the dispute must be resolved within the United Nations, adding that any other solutions would bring instability in Kosovo and neighbouring regions.

“A unilateral declaration of independence would violate international law ... and seriously endanger peace and stability, not only in the western Balkans,” Kostunica said Wednesday during a visit to Brussels where he met with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

The premier said Kosovo will not be divided under any circumstances and other nations should refrain from recognizing the breakaway province’s independence in order to maintain the UN’s authority.

“The damage would not only be to Serbia, it would be much broader. This is because Kosovo is not a unique case. One cannot violate the UN charter in one case and not violate it in another; one cannot bypass the Security Council in one case and not bypass it in others. In this case, the largest damage would be to the UN,” Kostunica said.

Also, Kostunica said Serbia would not send army troops in Kosovo if the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina fail to provide a solution, as speculated.

The discussions are taking place under the mediation of a troika, comprising envoys from Russian the EU and US. But the time is limited for the talks, ethnic-Albanians threatening to proclaim independence if the negotiations do not provide a breakthrough by December 100.

Serbia found a strong ally in Russia, who vowed to use its veto right in the UN Security Council to obstruct any proposal not welcomed by the Belgrade government.

A new round of talks between troika members and representatives from Serbia and Kosovo is due to take place next week in London, while direct discussion are scheduled for September 28 in New York.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the EU continues to “actively working with the UN” in order to elaborate a “multilateral solution.”

The Portuguese politician said Serbia will increase its chances of becoming a member of the EU if it expands its collaboration with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.

Belgrade has been urged to increase its efforts to track down and arrest alleged war criminals in order to make a further step towards EU accession talks.

Italy’s Prime Minister Romano Prodi said future ascension talks would contribute to “a more favourable climate” for the negotiations over Kosovo’s status. But his opinion wasn’t shared by the EU or Serbia, who acknowledged the dispute and EU membership are “two different issues that need to be resolved separately.”

On Wednesday, Kostunica held a private discussion with EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

Solana made a call to all parties involved in the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina to refrain from making controversial statements which could hamper the troika’s efforts.

The Spanish diplomat also criticized Serbian officials who urged Serbs living in Kosovo to boycott the upcoming local and parliamentary elections.

Approximately 100,000 from the two million people living in the province are Serbs. Kosovo is administrated by the United Nations since 1999, when NATO forces ousted Serb troops from the region.