Nato secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will pay a visit to Kosovo on March 14, AFP quoted Scheffer's spokesperson as saying on March 12. This will be Scheffer's first visit after Kosovo seceded from Serbia on February 17.

Scheffer's agenda includes a trip to Kosovo's northern region, which is predominantly populated by ethnic Serbs and capable of sparking unrest in the self-proclaimed state, and talks with Kosovo's president Fatmir Sejdiu, prime minister Hashim Thaci and with the commanders of Nato's 17 000-strong contingent deployed in Kosovo.

So far, 25 countries, among them the US, the UK, France and Germany have recognised Kosovo's independence.

Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority proclaimed independence from Serbia on Feb. 17, a move that has been recognised by more than 25 countries, including major Western powers like the U.S., U.K., France and Germany.

Serbia, which considers the territory as a heartland of its history and culture, and its ally Russia have rejected the move as illegal. The move has been strongly opposed by Serbs in northern Kosovo.