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Russia to meet Belgrade's request for aid to Kosovo Serb regions

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Russia will provide humanitarian aid to crisis-hit Serb areas of Kosovo in line with a request from the Serbian government, outgoing president Vladimir Putin said on Monday.
MOSCOW, March 24 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will provide humanitarian aid to crisis-hit Serb areas of Kosovo in line with a request from the Serbian government, outgoing president Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

Tensions have been escalating in Serb regions of the largely ethnic Albanian province since Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia on February 17. Rioters clashed with peacekeepers last week in the city of Mitrovica in northern Kosovo, leaving one Ukrainian police officer dead and dozens of civilians and peacekeepers wounded.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the president at a Cabinet meeting that Serbia's government had approached Moscow with a request for humanitarian aid to 'Serb enclaves' due to the worsening situation over the past two weeks.

"They are primarily interested in medicine, medical equipment, long-life foods, and hygiene products," he said.

Putin said: "If humanitarian aid is needed, then let's provide it, but without political bias. I would ask the prime minister to work on this issue."

Kosovo, with a 90% ethnic Albanian majority, has been recognized as a sovereign state by the United States, most European Union members, and several other countries. Russia has sided with Belgrade, which says Kosovo will always remain a part of its territory.

Serb-dominated areas account for about 15% of Kosovo's territory. Belgrade has proposed that it take full control over these regions from UN peacekeepers.

Serbia today marked the ninth anniversary of the start of NATO's bombing campaign which forced hardline leader Slobodan Milosevic to withdraw troops from Kosovo.

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