EU envoy urges U.N. Kosovo plan OK

BRUSSELS, March 22 (UPI) -- A European Union envoy is warning the Balkans could again be in chaos if the status of Serbia's Kosovo province is not resolved soon.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said if the U.N. Security Council fails to pass a resolution on Kosovo there will be political instability in the region, the EUobserver reported Thursday.

Addressing a foreign affairs committee of the European parliament Wednesday, Rehn urged Russia not to oppose a U.N. plan that would reportedly give Kosovo internationally supervised independence from Serbia. Serbia has rejected the plan.

Rehn said in case the Security Council fails to pass the resolution on Kosovo it would be Europe paying the price, not Russia nor the United States.

He also urged unity among EU member countries in handling the Kosovo issue.

U.N. special envoy to Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari earlier this month submitted his plan to the United Nations for consideration and final approval by the Security Council.

U.N. administrators and NATO troops have been deployed in Kosovo since 1999 when the alliance's air raids stopped Serbia's military and police campaign against ethnic-Albanian separatists and civilians. Ninety percent of Kosovo's residents are of Albanian origin and 10 percent are Serbian.