Serbia will never recognize Kosovo's independence because the unilateral declaration of the province's independence is illegitimate said Serbian President Boris Tadic during a discussion with the newly appointed Ambassadors to Serbia from Tunisia, Czech Republic, FYROM and Chile.

"I support a continuation of the negotiations under the UN auspices with the goal to find a compromise-based solution to the future status of KiM. Serbia will continue fighting for its interests and respect for the international law, with all available political and diplomatic means, without the use of force," Tadic said.

During talks with the Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, Libyan officials confirmed that Libya firmly supports Serbia's stance regarding the declaration of independence by Kosovo saying that it violates international law. Libyan officials gave firm assurances that Libya will not recognize Kosovo and that Tripoli advocates continuation of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina.

Libya is currently a non permanent member of the UN Security Council.

UNMIK Deputy Chief Larry Rossin accused Serbia of fomenting violence in Kosovo saying that "we think that Belgrade has clear influence on the Serbs in the North".

Serbia's State Secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo Dusan Prorokovic, however, denied these allegations saying that there are no Serbian police officers in northern Kosovo.

Belgrade asked for an international investigation to see what happened during the unrest in Kosovska Mitrovica.

"Everything that happened on Monday in Mitrovica, including the withdrawal of UNMIK was staged," says Kosovo Serb representative for the north, Milan Ivanovic.

"Escalation happened when an American who was in a van opened the door, pulled out a pistol and started shooting at the people," describes Ivanovic.

"All this is slowly changing into Iraq," says Milan Angelovski from Mitrovica.

"We will have problems here as long as we are alive, endless battle. I'll fight to the end because I have nowhere to go. I won't become a refugee," says Angelovski.

Ivanovic says that NATO attack on Serbian civilians was only the first phase of removing the UN from the province and establishing the domination of the EU sponsored EULEX mission.

"This first phase was to scare Serbs. And that was, here on Monday, with tanks that were brought out on the street, live ammunition, and tear gas done," says Ivanovic.

"They need to understand that we do not accept that... and everything that they try to take away illegally, we have the same right with the same means to return it back," said Ivanovic.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, however, accused Serbs of violence and warned Serbs that "We will not allow that a number of groups from the North of Kosovo, who I know well, and those from Serbia, to cause incidents within the Kosovo borders, recognized by now internationally... The international community will not hesitate to response, even though I understand what is going on in Serbian heads, which I want to convince of friendship and my support," Kouchner said.

UK Ambassador stationed in Kosovo, David Blunt said that events in Mitrovica have a legal basis in the UN mandate.

"KFOR and UNMIK have a clear mandate based on 1244 Resolution of the Security Council to offer a peaceful and secure environment in Kosovo. UK Government condemns strongly the violent acts which aim to hinder UN and KFOR to fulfill their mandates," Blunt said.

Russian Ambassador with the UN Vitalii Churkin said that violence was unnecessary in Mitrovica and that talks could have brought a peaceful resolution.

"I don't remember that someone had broken into the assembly building in Pristina during the declaration of Kosovo's independence, despite the fact that the declaration was a serious breach of UNSCR 1244," Churkin said.

Belorussia President Aleksandr Lukashenko said that illegal recognition of Kosovo's independence shows double standards and marks an appearance of a new and real threat of unilateral revisions of borders in Europe and the deployment of the US anti-missile shield in Europe instigates the existing stability.

Chairman of the Board for Security of the Upper House of the Russian Duma Viktor Ozerov said that Serbia could be accepted in the Community of Independent States and the Organization of the agreement on collective security if the West places Serbia into isolation over Kosovo.