BELGRADE, Serbia, May 24 (UPI) -- Serbian President Boris Tadic will not attend a summit of European leaders in Poland "because Kosovo will be treated as an equal state," his Cabinet said.
Serbia will be joined in the boycott of the summit by Romania and Slovakia, two of the five European Union countries from the region that have refused to recognize Kosovo, Poland.pl reported Tuesday.
Kosovo's ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared independence in early 2008, but Serbia rejected it as an illegal act of secession.
Poland, which has recognized Kosovo, has invited Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga to the summit, an action that led to the boycott, Serbian broadcaster B92 reported.
Tadic's Cabinet said the Serbian president would not attend the May 27-28 meeting, expected to include U.S. President Barack Obama, because of Kosovo's presence as an equal participant.
"Serbian President Boris Tadic will not take part in the summit in Warsaw because Kosovo will not be presented asymmetrically compared to other participants, which is necessary at such high-level meetings," the president's Cabinet told Serbian news agency Tanjug.
