http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7262134.stm
BBC NEWS (UK) Monday, 25 February 2008, 08:33 GMT Russia to shore up Serbia support The man tipped to succeed Vladimir Putin as Russian president is due in Serbia, as the two countries continue to oppose Kosovan independence. Deputy Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev is travelling to the capital, Belgrade, with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. The Russian foreign ministry has accused the United States of "flagrant cynicism" in recognising Kosovo's declaration of independence a week ago. The issue sparked protests in Belgrade last week. Correspondents say that, with Mr Medvedev the favourite to win next month's presidential election in Russia, the high-powered nature of Russia's delegation is a sign of the strength of the country's backing for Serbia. He and Mr Lavrov are scheduled to hold talks with Serbian President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica. "Do support for the Kosovo Albanian side alone, contempt for law for the sake of so-called 'political expediency', and indifference to the fate of 100,000 Serbs who... are effectively being driven into a ghetto, not amount to flagrant cynicism?" Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The statement followed a comment by US Assistant Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, who accused Russia of aggravating tensions over the Kosovo issue. Border posts row Also on Monday, Belgrade government ministers are due to visit Serbian communities in Kosovo to press their message that Belgrade still regards Kosovo as its own. Serbs have turned against those who recognise the new Kosovo Serbian Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic will lead the delegation. But reports suggest Mr Samardzic will be denied entry until he apologises for comments seemingly condoning violence. Mr Samardzic described the burning down of two border posts on 19 February by crowds of Kosovan Serbs as "legitimate" acts. Two days later, western embassies were attacked in Belgrade, acts which Mr Samardzic blamed on the US for accepting Kosovo's declaration of independence last Sunday. "The US is the major culprit for all troubles since 17 February," Mr Samardzic told the state news agency Tanjug. "The root of violence is the violation of international law." Well-informed sources have suggested Mr Samardzic will be asked to apologise for these comments before being allowed into Kosovo, says the BBC's central Europe reporter Nick Thorpe. Mitrovica fears Kosovo remained calm on Sunday, and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci marked the first week of independence with a visit to the grave of Kosovo's late president, Ibrahim Rugova. Mr Thaci used the occasion to call on Kosovo's Serbian minority to integrate. But the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica was bracing itself for more tension. Albanian staff have been prevented from returning to work at the town's UN-administered court on safety grounds, while Serbs who used to work there are demanding their old jobs back. Any attempt by the Serbs to use force to occupy the building would be a test of UN resolve to maintain at least a semblance of multi-ethnic administration in the
