Kosovo Serbs form parliament in disputed north

PRISTINA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo formed their own parliament on Thursday in a show of challenges against the deal by the European Union forcing Serbia to normalize relations with Kosovo.

"We cannot accept that the price of Serbia's EU entry will be the loss of the territory and forceful integration into the institutions of an unrecognized state," Slavko Stevanovic, Kosovo Serb leader, was quoted by Serbian News Agency Tanjug as saying.

The move occurred at a time of increased political will by Belgrade and Pristina to normalize their relations with special arrangements brokered by the EU in April.

The European Union has just given the green light to start negotiations with Serbia by January on joining the 28-member bloc.

Kosovo, a former Serbian province where ethnic Albanians account for 90 percent of its 2 million people, unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia in February of 2008.

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