SARAJEVO, Aug 1 (Saba) - Serbia is facing considerable pressure from western countries concerning the Kosovo dossier, urging it to acknowledge the latter's independence, with the European Union urgently seeking an end of tensions in the Balkan Peninsula, according to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

A high diplomatic source in the Serbian government told KUNA Sunday Belgrade is coming under unprecedented pressure to come to a settlement which would change the current borders between Kosovo and Serbia.

The source added the situation was made even more embarrassing for Belgrade after it sought the International Court of Justice's assessment of the issue and the ICJ ruled that the Kosovo independence is indeed legitimate.

Speculation had earlier suggested a link between Serbia's EU membership with its acknowledgment of Kosovo's independence. In view of the ICJ ruling, this view was given more weight.

The source noted that Serbia now realizes there is no forcing of Kosovo to agree to any one-way solution, and that any scenario seeking to end the tension would have to be agreeable to Prishtina.

The source meanwhile thought it unlikely that Serbia would challenge Kosovo again so as not to damage its relations with the EU and its odds of accession to the bloc.

As for probable settlement, the source said it could be a trade of some southern territories where there is an Albanian majority to be annexed to Kosovo in exchange for northern Serb-majority regions for Serbia. This could give Serbia a chance to prove its credibility, some observers believe.(

Saba