MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's foreign minister accused the West of encouraging Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority to unilaterally declare independence, saying in an interview published Sunday that the move would rekindle hostilities in the province and erode global stability.

Sergei Lavrov, in comments to Cyprus News Agency that were posted on the Foreign Ministry's Web site, warned that a unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo's Alba­nians would exacerbate ethnic tensions and could spur the resumption of violence.

Reaffirming Moscow's strong support for its traditional ally, Serbia, Lavrov hailed Belgrade for offering ethnic Albanians in Kosovo broad autonomy. But he chastised Kosovo's Albanians.

"We haven't seen any readiness from Pristina to at least take into account Bel­gra­de's legitimate interests," Lavrov said. "Regret­­tably, by re­peating a thesis about Kosovo's predetermined independence, the Albanians have been following signals from some Western nations that they were ready to support a unilateral sovereignization."

With talks between Belgrade and Pristina deadlocked - and the U.N. Security Council unlikely to reach agreement on a way forward when it takes up the issue Dec. 19 - Kosovo's leaders are now expected in January to formally set the province on the road to achieving statehood by spring.

Lavrov warned that such a move would undermine international law and set a dangerous example for separatist movements worldwide.

"Such conflicts are under control today mostly because of efficiency of basic norms of international law. It would be simply irresponsible to weaken it by ill-considered action regarding Kosovo," Lavrov said. "A unilateral solution will inevitably create a precedent which will be extrapolated to other similar situations."

The issue of Ko­sovo's future status has become one of the main irritants

in the increasingly chilly relations bet­ween a newly asser­tive Moscow and the West. Russia, with the threat of a Se­curity Council veto, helped Serbia scuttle efforts earlier this year to adopt a Western-backed plan granting Kosovo internationally supervised independence.

While Kosovo remains a province of Serbia, it has been under U.N. and NATO administration since a NATO-led air war that halted a Serbian crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists in 1999.