Kosovo rejects Western call to conduct Serbian referendum

By JOVANA GEC
Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Kosovo has rejected a call from Western governments to allow its minority Serbs to vote in a Serbian referendum in the same way as in the past several years. A joint statement by Kosovo’s top authorities Friday said that the Serbs can cast ballots only via mail or at a liaison office without organizing the ballot in Serb-dominated areas as has been the case with past elections in Serbia. The decision is likely to fuel tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, which have been simmering since Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a move that Serbia has refused to recognize.