Serbian, Albanian presidents clash over Kosovo

Serbian, Albanian presidents clash over Kosovo

The two were speaking at a Balkan summit otherwise devoted to fostering regional cooperation in the energy sector.

Kosovo has some of the world's biggest lignite deposits, which neighboring countries are anxious to invest in and have access to.

"Belgrade's request for a continuation of negotiations is a legitimate request, because we did not have legitimate negotiations in Vienna,” Tadić insisted.

"Their security is not dependent on negotiations. I determinedly reject such arguments."

Violence "cannot be an argument for anything," he said. "Serbia does not want and will not apply violence" in Kosovo.

Moisu, however, said "the Ahtisaari plan has been discussed for one and a half years ... there has been a compromise reached."

"Let us leave what has happened behind us and move forward to European integration," he said.

Other representatives present, including for Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria and host Macedonia, tread carefully on the Kosovo issue.

Macedonian president Branko Crvenkovski said that although Kosovo was not represented at the event, which included only sovereign states, "Macedonia's immediate neighbors have a legitimate interest in resolving its status."

"If the UN Security Council adopts a resolution (advocating independence), Macedonia has to fulfill its obligations as a member state."

Montenegrin president Filip Vujanović said: "I don't think (they) have exhausted all possibilities of dialogue."

He said his country "does not offer a formula ... the answer needs to be found through dialogue between Priština and Belgrade."