Kosovo in 2013 pledged to give more autonomy to local Serbs, who refuse to recognise its 2008 independence, through such an association as part of a peace deal. However, Kosovo's highest court said some parts of the deal violated the constitution and should be changed before it takes effect.

 

The proposed 11-point deal would not require Serbia to recognise the independence of its former province, but Belgrade would have to stop lobbying against Kosovo's membership in international bodies.

 

The two countries would also have to open representative offices in each other's capitals and work on resolving outstanding issues.

 

Ethnic Serbs account for around 100,000 of Kosovo's 1.8-million population, with about half of them living in the north of the country and most refusing to recognise Pristina's authority.

 

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic told parliament last week that Western envoys warned Belgrade that if Serbia did not accept the proposal, its EU membership talks would be halted and access to pre-accession funds and investments denied.