Kosovo Leader Condemns Serbia Over U.N. Moves

´We expect that very soon Macedonia and Montenegro will recognize the independence of Kosovo,´ he said.

Serbia's push at the United Nations this week for World Court review of Kosovo's legal status could hurt stability in the Balkans, the prime minister of the former Serbian province said on Thursday.

Hashim Thaci, a former guerrilla leader of Kosovo's independence drive, referred to lobbying by Serbian President Boris Tadic and his foreign minister in recent days to slow global recognition of the landlocked Balkan country.

At Serbia's request, the U.N. General Assembly is pondering whether to ask the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the legality of Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in February. A decision could be reached sometime next month.

"It is a very bad idea of Serbia," Thaci told Reuters in an interview. "It does not help...stability in the region."

"I think the government in Belgrade has to prove that it is pro-Western. They need to think more about becoming part of the EU and NATO and not waste time over the Kosovo issue."

Many Serbs consider Kosovo the heart of their nation, and Tadic's government opposes Kosovo independence even as it seeks closer ties to the European Union.

Many diplomats say the Serbian U.N. request could slow international recognition of Kosovo, but Thaci disagreed.

"We expect that very soon Macedonia and Montenegro will recognize the independence of Kosovo," he said.

"We work very hard for recognition. Until now we have 47 countries that recognise Kosovo's independence and three countries recognise the passports of Kosovo: Montenegro, Macedonia and Greece."

FOREIGN INVESTMENT

Serbia lost control of Kosovo, where 90 percent of the population are ethnic Albanians, in 1999 when NATO intervened to halt ethnic cleansing of civilians in a counter-insurgency war.

Even now that it has declared independence, Kosovo's government must work closely with international officials, who are empowered to dismiss the prime minister in extreme instances.

Agim Ceku, Thaci's predecessor as prime minister, said on Wednesday that he often chafed under the oversight.

"I was very frustrated," he said.

Thaci took a more diplomatic line. "It is a joy to cooperate with them," he said with a broad smile.

Cooperation clearly has its benefits. Thaci met a World Bank official on Wednesday and said he expected the bank and IMF to admit Kosovo by early next year.

Kosovo is also seeking foreign investment, and Thaci said to that end he would tackle chronic power shortages, fight crime and corruption and provide transparent goverment. He saw opportunities in energy, tourism, mining and infrastructure.

Yet the former rebel leader said some Kosovars had unrealistic expectations following independence. "Independence has opened wide perspectives, but it didn't bring a miracle," he said in the interview. "It is good that people have begun to see the reality."