Prishtina - Kosovo would declare independence in February, Jakup Krasniqi said in Pristina Monday, a day after Serbia completed its presidential election.

'We are ready and in coordination with our Western allies, the United States and European Union, we will declare independence during this month,' the Kosovo assembly speaker Jakup Krasniqi told reporters.

The Kosovo leadership, representing the 90-per-cent Albanian majority, eagerly awaits full separation from Serbia, which still, if only nominally, has sovereignty over the territory.

The big Western powers, keen to end an expensive and inefficient UN administration that has governed the province since the 1999 war there, are supportive of Kosovo's break for independence.

Backing Serbia, Russia has however blocked the initiative to recognize Kosovo in the UN Security Council, leaving open only the path of a unilateral declaration by Pristina.

The US and leading EU countries said they would recognize Kosovo, but have delayed the move until after the Serbian presidential poll ended with a close win by the pro-European incumbent Boris Tadic.

It is speculated that the likely date for the declaration of independence would be Sunday, February 17, a day before EU ministers are expected to decide on sending a law-implementing mission to Kosovo as a replacement for the UN.

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