US, EU to ethnic Serbs: You have a home in Kosovo

US, EU to ethnic Serbs: You have a home in Kosovo

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is touring a Serbian Orthodox church in Kosovo as she seeks to convince ethnic Serbs they have a home in Europe’s youngest nation.

Clinton will visit St. Nicholas Church today with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. They’re seeking to advance talks between Serbia and its former province so both can one day join the European Union.

One stumbling block is the fate of 60,000 Serbs in northern Kosovo. They reject Kosovo’s authority and want independence or incorporation into Serbia.

Washington and Brussels say neither is possible. They’re promoting economic cooperation between the countries and telling ethnic Serbs they’ll be protected in Kosovo.

Kosovo declared independence in 2008. The church Clinton is visiting suffered during anti-Serb riots in 2004.