Serbia and Russia reject Albanian rule in Kosovo

BELGRADE-Serbia intends to rule parts of Kosovo where "loyal citizens" still look to Belgrade for government, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said on Monday.In a fresh challenge to the West, which backs Kosovo's independence, and in particular to the European Union, which is due to take over from the United Nations as Kosovo's supervisor, he said Serbia would do all in its power to exert its authority. "Serbia will do everything to implement its jurisdiction and state prerogatives for all loyal citizens in Kosovo-Serbs and non-Albanians," Kostunica said."There cannot be normalization of relations with the states that recognized Kosovo independence until they annul their decision," he added."Protest rallies will not stop as long as illegal independence is not annulled."Kostunica won renewed backing from ally Russia, whose likely next president, Dmitry Medvedev, made a high-profile visit to say Moscow would continue to back Serbian sovereignty, despite Western support for the independence of Kosovo.Medvedev, who also met Western-leaning president Boris Tadic, said there would be no shift in Russia's support for Serbia after the presidential election next week."We assume that Serbia is a single state whose jurisdiction covers all of its territory," Medvedev said. "We will stick to this position."Serbia cherishes Kosovo as the cradle of the nation, where Serb history and myth dates back 1,000 years and old monasteries dot the land. But most Serbs have little firsthand knowledge of the poor southern province, now populated by a 90 percent majority of ethnic Albanians. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2551157520080225
As in the days of Noah....