Kosovo 'to work' with EU mission

Thousands of Kosovans have protested against the six-point plan

Both Serbia and Kosovo have agreed to co-operate with a new EU mission due to take over in Kosovo - though Kosovo still has objections, the UN head says.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a report that he had instructed UN staff to prepare to hand over to the EU.

Western diplomats welcomed Serbia's consent - which comes despite its opposition to Kosovo's independence.

Kosovo refuses to accept provisions which would keep its majority-Serb areas under UN auspices.

Kosovo fears this could lead to partition of its fledgling state, says the BBC's Laura Trevelyan at UN headquarters in New York.

The 2,000-strong EU mission, named Eulex, is due to take over policing and customs responsibilities from the UN by early December.

Ban Ki-moon said in his report that Kosovo had formally rejected his amended six-point plan for the deployment of Eulex - yet it had indicated it was "willing to cooperate" with the force.

The attack on the EU office earlier this month caused no casualties

The six-point plan, which Kosovo complains was agreed by the EU and Serbia behind its back, would keep police, customs and courts in the Serb-run areas under UN management.

Serbia had objected to the EU mission having any role, until the plan was altered to keep the UN in Serb areas.

The UN has not recognised Kosovo's independence, which was declared in February and has since been recognised by around 50 nations, including most, but not all, EU states.

Serbia still regards Kosovo as one of its provinces - so Western diplomats have welcomed what they say is enough agreement for the EU to deploy.

Kosovo's population is 90% Albanian, with a minority of Serbs, who mainly occupy northern Kosovo, bordering Serbia, and some other areas.

Bomb intrigue

Meanwhile, Germany has described as "absurd" any suggestion that it was involved in a bomb attack on the EU envoy's office in Kosovo on 14 November.

Three Germans have been detained, suspected of involvement in the attack.

German and Kosovan media have reported that the men are German intelligence agents - but officials in Berlin have refused to comment on these claims.