PARIS (AFP).- UNESCO's executive board voted Wednesday to recommend that Kosovo be accepted as a member of the UN cultural body, a move that is fiercely opposed by former foe Serbia.

Kosovo and Serbia fought a war in 1998 and 1999, and the predominantly ethnic Albanian territory unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

Serbia refused to recognise the breakaway territory but more than 100 countries, including the United States and a majority of EU member states, have done so.

The recommendation was supported by 27 member countries on UNESCO's executive board, while 14 voted against and another 14 abstained.

The UN agency's 195-member assembly, which meets every two years and gathers in Paris in November, will have the final say on whether Kosovo joins or not.

UNESCO member Serbia believes that Kosovo does not have the necessary credentials to join the UN agency, accusing Pristina of not protecting Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries from attacks.

But Kosovo's Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci retorted in August that Serbia was attempting to "keep us isolated from opportunities in education, science and culture" by denying membership in the organisation.

Two of Kosovo's Orthodox monasteries are on UNESCO's world heritage list.

Belgrade sees Kosovo as the cradle of the medieval Serbian state and so far it has been the only one in the position to propose putting new Kosovan sites on UNESCO's world heritage list.

But if Kosovo is admitted to UNESCO, Pristina will be in charge of doing so in the future, managing heritage in the country, including Orthodox heritage.

In addition, Kosovo is already a member of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and its inclusion in UNESCO would have a powerful impact on any bid to join the United Nations itself.



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