WASHINGTON (AP) -- Serbia's foreign minister says his government is encouraged by signs of opposition in some European countries to recognizing Kosovo as independent and believes negotiators can find compromise on the future of the breakaway province.

Vuk Jeremic said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press that Serbia would use a new period of negotiations over the future of Kosovo to press for a solution short of independence. The message came ahead of scheduled talks Friday with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who have said repeatedly the United States supports international recognition of Kosovo's independence soon. This week, Rice assured officials from Kosovo that the U.S. would move to recognize Kosovo soon after a new period of international negotiations. But Jeremic seized on recent indications that some European countries are uncomfortable recognizing Kosovo without approval of the UN Security Council. The EU's 27 members generally have been united in their support for a UN resolution that would empower the union to deploy its mission to the province and replace the current UN administration there. Still, some members such as Spain, Slovakia, Greece and Cyprus have expressed reservations about the prospect of Kosovo gaining independence without a UN Security Council resolution — unlikely in the face of Russian opposition. President Vladimir Putin reiterated Russia's stand Friday while accepting the credentials of the new Serbian ambassador, Stanimir Vukicevic, at a Kremlin ceremony. ""Today, Serbs are asserting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their country. Our position is well known,"" he said. ""Peace in Europe cannot be built without taking into consideration the fundamental norms of international law, including the fundamental principles of the Helsinki Accords."" Although Kosovo remains a province of Serbia, it has been under UN and NATO administration since a 78-day NATO-led air war halted a Serb crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists in 1999. In April, the UN's special envoy on Kosovo, Martti Ahtisaari, recommended Kosovo be granted internationally supervised independence. There are concerns that the EU could split over the issue if it remains unresolved. Following a conference of EU foreign ministers in Brussels this week, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the officials had not reached a consensus. The conference came just days after the United States and the EU were forced to withdraw their latest draft of a resolution on Kosovo's future from the Security Council. Russia, a veto-wielding member of the council, opposed the resolution on the grounds that it was a hidden route to independence. ""There are a growing number of countries who realize that the cost of imposing a solution outside the security council is high and therefore starting to think about whether there could be a more optimal solution,"" Jeremic said. U.S. and European officials have agreed to allow 120 days for further negotiations that would include talks with Kosovo and Serbia in a last attempt to reach an agreement. But Serbia will not accept Kosovo's independence