NATO-led KFOR peacekeepers will continue to fulfill its responsibility in Kosovo, which officially declared independence from Serbia on Sunday, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said.

"All parties should recognize that KFOR will continue to fulfill its responsibility for a safe and secure environment throughout the territory of Kosovo, in accordance with UNSCR 1244, unless the Security Council decides otherwise," Scheffer said in a statement in response to Kosovo's declaration of independence.

KFOR will continue to provide security for all Kosovo citizens, "majority and minority alike, in an impartial manner, just as before," he said, adding that the peacekeeping force's levels and chain of command will not be changed by Sunday's events.

Scheffer said that NATO is following ongoing developments in Kosovo closely and the North Atlantic Council, the military alliance's decision-making body, will meet Monday to assess the situation.

He also warned that KFOR "will respond swiftly and firmly against anyone who might resort to violence in Kosovo" during the current sensitive period.

"NATO urges all parties involved to exercise the maximum restraint and moderation (on Kosovo)," said Scheffer.

Kosovo's parliament voted Sunday to adopt a declaration of independence at an extraordinary session on the province's independence from Serbia.

Kosovo is a cultural heartland of Serbia. But most of Kosovo's 2 million people are ethnic Albanians.

Its independence has been firmly opposed by Serbia and Russia.

Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has warned that Kosovo's independence would set a dangerous precedent for regions across the world where there are ethnic tensions.