"If the Kosovo assembly adopts such a declaration, the Serb List for Kosovo leader said in Belgrade today, that document "would not represent anything special per se" unless it is accepted and recognized by all countries of the EU and the UN.

"As matters currently stand, many countries will be very reserved towards that document, and Serbia will not accept it, so without Serbia, it will lack full legal legitimacy," Ivanović told Radio Free Europe.

Ivanović added it is "easy to declare independence and everyone can do that", but that its recognition is a lengthy process "and most importantly, it is not easy to take away a part of the territory of an internationally recognized state that is a member of the United Nations, and form a new state there."

Ivanović explained that, "just like all the other Serbs in Kosovo", he is opposed to the independence of the province, adding that the "Kosovo Serbs could decide not to recognize the independence" and remain consistent to UN Security Council Resolution 1244, according to which Kosovo is a part of Serbia.

Speaking about announcements of the Community of Serb Municipalities and Settlements in Kosovo that they will form a Serb assembly in the province later this week, Ivanović this was a "normal reactions by the Serbs who are dissatisfied with the way the international community has placed restrictions on Serbia."

Ivanović, who headed the Serb list of MPs in the Kosovo parliament until last week, said that northern Kosovo would not separate from the rest of the province.

"I believe that this will not happen, this would be a wrong move, because it would mean the recognition of the independence of Kosovo. On the other hand, this would place other Serbs in an very bad situation and would not resolve the problem, rather it would worsen the conflict between the two ethnic communities," Ivanović pointed out.

Earlier today, he was quoted by FoNet news agency as saying that the Kosovo Serbs are "anxiously awaiting instructions from Belgrade."

Ivanović told the agency that the Kosovo Serbs, particularly those in the enclaves, were very disturbed about the talk of an independence declaration by Priština, and that their concerns had been further exacerbated by the failure of the Belgrade authorities to address them directly.

“The most important decision is whether to stay or go, and that’s why it’s vital for the main Serbian institutions to address them directly,” he explained.

“Such a situation is very dangerous as it can lead to an exodus, and those that leave take their frustrations with them, so that Serbia as a whole will be unstable,” added the Kosovo Serb official.

He said that “at this moment in time, the Kosovo Serbs must not under any circumstances be the initiators of any sort of acts that could lead to instability or an incident, as tension is most dangerous for the Serbs.”

According to Ivanović, “it will be very dangerous if the Serbs in the north, under pressure from certain quasi-politicians, leave the Kosovo Police Service.”

“They will immediately be replaced by the foreign police contingent, but the danger for them is that, under the rules, logistics come too – in the form of Albanians,” the Kosovo Serb official pointed out.

He said that in such a scenario “incidents are almost certain” leading to an increased exodus of Serbs, regardless of where they live.