The United Nations special envoy for Kosovo will visit Serbia this week to lay out his proposal for the breakaway province's future, despite pleas from Serbia's outgoing government to wait until a new cabinet is in place.

A Western diplomat has said. that Russia wants any UN decision on the future of Kosovo to be put off until after Serbia has formed a new government following inconclusive general elections on January 21.

NATO allies expressed strong support today for a United Nations plan for the future status of Kosovo.

Joerg Himmelreich, of the German Marshall Fund in Berlin, spoke to RFE/RL correspondent Jeremy Bransten on the possible impact of Kosovo's future status on the so-called frozen conflicts of the former Soviet Union. Himmelreich is an expert on Russia, the Caucasus, and the Black Sea region.

The special UN envoy for Kosovo has presented his proposal for the province's future status to the six-nation Contact Group.

A strong turnout was reported today as Serbians voted in the country's first general election since its union with Montenegro was dissolved last year.

The EU's foreign policy chief says the 27-nation bloc will increase its engagement in Kosovo following an upcoming decision on the territory's future status.

Serbia's prime minister has urged new United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to protect his country's territorial integrity and make sure its Kosovo province does not gain independence.

Reaching a decision on the final status of the disputed Serbian province of Kosovo is becoming more difficult, because of Russian objections and a lack of consensus within the 25-nation European Union. VOA's Barry Wood has this report.