Kosovo has been edging closer to membership of the Council of Europe for months, despite strong objections from its bitter rival Serbia, and a final vote on its accession is due later this month. However, membership of Europe’s leading human rights body is being held up by Pristina’s refusal to create an association of 10 Serb-majority municipalities. Kurti has long been a staunch opponent of the creation of such a structure, arguing that it would amount to granting autonomy to Kosovo’s small Serb minority and would weaken the central government. “The government does not accept the association as a condition for membership in the Council of Europe,” Kurti told a session of his government. The prime minister declined to name the countries among the Council’s 46 members that have called for the creation of such a structure as a way to pave the way for Kosovo’s membership. Kurti’s continued refusal to create the association goes against an agreement signed by a previous government in 2013. Under the deal, the association would cover 10 municipalities where Serbs are in a majority and would enjoy autonomy over healthcare, education, culture and other areas. Kurti’s comments come as international attention has been focused on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is hosting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on a state visit to Belgrade today. During the visit, Xi reiterated Beijing’s long-standing support for Serbia’s territorial claim over Kosovo. Along with Russia, China has played a crucial role in preventing the former breakaway province from gaining membership of the United Nations. Animosity between Kosovo and Serbia has lingered since a war between Serb forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents in the late 1990s that led to a NATO intervention against Belgrade. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but Serbia has refused to recognise it. Kosovo is overwhelmingly populated by ethnic Albanians, but in the northern parts of the territory, close to the border with Serbia, ethnic Serbs remain the majority in several municipalities. Read Also: Xi inicia visita à Sérvia em data simbólica. "Bombardeamento descarado" (Portuguese version)