The issue of Kosovo's independence must be resolved only within the framework of the UN principles, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after meeting with his Serbian counterpart Tomislav Nikolic on Tuesday.

Kosovo, a landlocked region with a population consisting mainly ethnic Albanians, declared its independence from Serbia in February 2008. More than 90 nations, including the United States, acknowledged Kosovo's independence.

“It is necessary to look for the solution to the problem in the course of negotiations, based primarily on the UN Security Council Resolution 1244,” Putin said at a joint news conference with Nikolic.

The Serbian president, who is currently on an official visit to Russia, said Serbia would never resort to force in solving the Kosovo issue.

“We are not going to do anything using force, and will be acting within the framework of the UN,” Nikolic said.

Both Serbia and Russia do not recognize Kosovo's independence. On Monday, the 25-nation International Steering Group, which guided Kosovo after the latter declared independence, formally ended its supervision of the region.