**The International Court of Justice is set to begin hearings deliberating on the legality of Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia.**It is the first time the UN’s highest court has examined if a secession complies with international law.
Although 63 countries have recognised Kosovo’s independence, Serbia - which requested the case - refuses to do so.
A verdict in the case, which will not be legally binding, is not expected for several months.
Legal precedent
Beginning on Tuesday, the hearings at the court, based at The Hague in the Netherlands, are expected to run until 11 December.
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008.
“We are going to do everything that is possible to defend our legitimate national interests”
Boris Tadic
Serbian president
But the move was not sanctioned by a UN Security Council resolution because of opposition from Russia and China.
Serbia’s President Boris Tadic told the BBC he hoped the hearing would lead to fresh negotiations with Kosovo.
"We are going to do everything that is possible to defend our legitimate national interests.
“But it doesn’t mean that we are going to create problems. We are not a part of problems anymore, we are part of the solution.”
The BBC’s Belgrade correspondent, Mark Lowen, says part of the problem is that Kosovo believes there is nothing to talk about.
President Tadic said this was part of Serbia’s new peaceful approach to Kosovo - a decade after the war between the two that killed more than 10,000.
Our correspondent says the case will be closely watched by countries facing similar challenges to their authority.
They will want to see if this case sets a legal precedent.
On the eve of the court case, Kosovo’s President Fatmir Sejdiu told the Associated Press news agency that Kosovo had “invincible” arguments for its case.