Serbian President Boris Tadic said on Tuesday that the referendum that was being conducted by the Serbs in northern Kosovo was harmful to the state interests of Serbia.
Tadic said he had understanding for the need of the Serbs in northern Kosovo to express their political will, but stressed that local government units could not do more than the central government in dealing with the problems of the Serbian population in Kosovo, the President's Office said in a statement.
"This move by municipal leaders in northern Kosovo can only reduce the potential of the state," Tadic said, adding that the referendum did not benefit the interests of the Serbs in Kosovo. "This is not helping the government in defending its legitimate interests in Kosovo and Metohija," he said.
Tadic reiterated that Serbia would not recognise Kosovo as an independent state and that it was searching for a solution that would make it possible for Kosovo representatives to attend regional forums, but which would not mean either explicit or implicit recognition of Kosovo.
In three of four predominantly Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo, a two-day referendum began on Tuesday, with the question: "Do you accept the institutions of the so-called Republic of Kosovo?" In the fourth municipality, voting will be held only on Wednesday. Slightly over 35,000 people are eligible to vote.
