Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Russia would not support any international solution to resolve Kosovo's status that was unacceptable to either Serbia or the province's ethnic Albanian majority.

"If we see that either of the sides is clearly unsatisfied with the proposed ways to solve the situation, we will not support the decision," said Putin at a high-profile security conference held in the southern German city of Munich.

The international community was not in the right position to solve the problem with any disputable issues left between the two sides, he said.

"Only the Kosovars and Serbs can resolve this," he added.

Earlier in a speech at the same meeting, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, called the international community, and possibly NATO to intervene to solve the crisis in Kosovo.

Some 250 top officials from over 40 countries, including US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, and EU chief diplomat Javier Solana, participated in the 43th Munich security conference that will be held from late Friday until Sunday.

The Munich security conference, entitled "global crisis, global responsibilities", will also highlight Iran's nuclear crisis, NATO' s role, the Middle East peace process, transatlantic relations, the West's relations with Russia and the fight against international terrorism, according to the organizers.

(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2007)