Serbia could include Kosovo in general election

MOSCOW, April 14 (RIA Novosti) - Serbia intends to include Kosovo, which it still considers part of its territory, in the country's early parliamentary election, a Russian senator cited Belgrade's Election Commission as saying.

Alexander Torshin, a deputy speaker of the upper house of Russia's parliament, said the United Nations is considering whether the plans will be possible.

"In the course of my meeting with the deputy chairman of Serbia's electoral commission, Dian Djurdjivic, he said that the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo is considering the possibility of organizing parliamentary elections on Kosovo's territory," Torshin said.

The elections have been set for May 11. Torshin said polling stations will be open in Mitrovica and four Serb-dominated areas in Kosovo, among others.

He said Russia's State Duma and CIS Inter-parliamentary Assembly intend to send observers to Serbia's elections.

Kosovo, with a 90% ethnic-Albanian majority, has been formally recognized as a sovereign state by 36 countries including the United States and most European Union members since it proclaimed its independence from Serbia on February 17.

Russia and China continue to back Belgrade's position that Kosovo will always remain a part of Serbia.