Serbia's President Boris Tadic (File)

Serbian President Boris Tadic says he has informed the head of the United Nations that any changes to the size or role of the U.N. mission in Kosovo requires a Security Council resolution and Serbian approval.

Mr. Tadic said he had stressed his country's views to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday.  Mr. Tadic told reporters in Athens any changes lacking Council approval would be illegitimate.

The U.N. chief submitted a plan last month to the Security Council urging changes to the U.N. mission. The plan calls for placing police, customs and justice operations under control of the European Union.

The United States and key European allies support the plan.  But Council member Russia, which has a Security Council veto, backs Serbia in opposing it.

In a related development, Russia Tuesday welcomed the creation of a parliament of Kosovo Serbs, formulated last week in defiance of the February decision by leaders of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority to declare the area's independence from Serbia.

Kosovo's minority Serbs unveiled the parliament Saturday, in a move condemned by the ethnic Albanian majority government of Kosovo.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP.