BLED, Slovenia (Reuters) - EU-mediated negotiations on normalising relations between Serbia and its former province of Kosovo could lead to a deal within months, the EU's envoy dealing with one of Europe's toughest territorial disputes said on Monday.
Ethnic Albanian majority Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 1999 after a NATO-led bombing campaign to curtail ethnic warfare. Serbia, backed by its large Slavic and Orthodox Christian ally Russia, does not recognise Kosovo's independence, a precondition for Belgrade's future membership of the EU.