Serbia protests Kosovo Security Force

BELGRADE, Serbia, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- The formation of a Kosovo Security Force violates a U.N. resolution and international law, Serbian President Boris Tadic said Friday.

Tadic sent an official letter of protest to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Tanjug reported.

"The Republic of Serbia protests over the forming of the so-called Kosovo Security Force by Pristina and it considers this an illegal paramilitary organization that poses a clear threat to the security of my country,"

he said. "The existence and the activities of this new force, both present and future, pose a direct threat to the peace and the stability in the western Balkans that is the common goal of all the legitimate factors in the region."

Kosovo declared independence last year and is recognized by more than 50 countries, including the United States and most EU members. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo and considers it an autonomous region governed by the United Nations.