BELGRADE, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic hailed the UN General Assembly's decision on Wednesday to ask the top world court to rule whether Kosovo's secession from Serbia conforms to international law.

But in Pristina, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu expressed 'regret,' saying the move 'will not help efforts for promotion of long-term stability in Kosovo and the region.'

The Serbian prime minister said: 'By voting for the resolution, the majority of countries have shown that this is the case which deserves to be discussed before the International Court of Justice.'

The vote in the 192-member assembly on a Serbian resolution seeking support for the referral was 77 in favor, 74 abstentions and six against.

The ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, which is based in The Hague, rules on disputes between sovereign states.

'We are very satisfied that our efforts have proved not to have been in vain, but accepted by the international community as legitimate and logical,' Cvetkovic said.

But Sejdiu told a news conference that 'we and our international supporters are saying continuously that the issue of independence Kosovo is solved and irreversible.'

Sejdiu said Pristina 'intends to take an active part in the presentation of the case' before the ICJ and 'expects it to be impartial and fair.'

'We believe that a debate of this issue before the ICJ will not hinder other countries to evaluate a continuous progress in Kosovo and make a decision to recognize Kosovo.'

Cvetkovic, however, warned that countries aiming to recognise Kosovo would have to take into a consideration ICJ's future engagement in the disputed issue.

'That can be understood as denying the importance of the role that ICJ has in this case,' Cvetkovic said, in a clear reference to Serbia's neighbours Montenegro and Macedonia who have reportedly been considering such a decision.

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Mladjan Dinkic said Belgrade would 'never accept the independence of Kosovo' but would strive to help its economy.

'We'll continue to be the factor of stability of the region,' he said during an official visit in Athens.

In Pristina, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said that despite the General Assembly's decision, there 'will be new countries which will recognise Kosovo's independence that will surprise, but also anger Serbia.'

Some 48 countries, including 22 EU members and the United States, have so far recognized Kosovo's unilateral secession from Belgrade on February 17.

But Serbia still considers Kosovo one of its provinces and Russia, a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, has strongly backed its ally Belgrade in the dispute.

Ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations since 1999 when it was wrested from Belgrade's control in a NATO air war.