Future outside Serbia takes shape for Kosovo

"I don't think there's going to be a fundamental renegotiation of the whole process," Sawers cautioned. Contrary to Serbian reports that the deal would be re-opened, the new talks would simply involve "fine-tuning" of the proposal.

Publication of the Kosovo plan was postponed from the end of 2006 to prevent it influencing a parliamentary election in Serbia, where ultranationalists are still strong.

The election was held on Sunday but failed to produce a clear majority and Serbia now looks headed for lengthy coalition talks just as the fateful plan for its province is launched.

Serbia's main party leaders all reject independence but are divided on how to resist an international solution.

The pro-Western Democratic Party of Serbia's President Boris Tadic appealed to Ahtisaari to delay publication further.

"Some speedy move on Kosovo could make formation of a democratic government more difficult, and that is not in anyone's interest," said Bozidar Djelic, the party's candidate for prime minister.

"These are delicate issues and we have to have full control over things such as the armed forces," he said.

Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who is key to a coalition deal and is seeking a new mandate, said he did not care what Ahtisaari did because Serbia was unanimously opposed to independence for Kosovo and had Russia to back it up.

"It is absolutely irrelevant when (Ahtisaari) will give his proposal, before or after the government is formed," he said.

(Additional reporting by Noah Barkin in Berlin, Fatos Bytyci in Pristina and Douglas Hamilton in Belgrade)