European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Sunday called for calm after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia earlier in the day.

"I am in permanent close contact with Kosovo and leaders in the region. I want to underline that stability in Kosovo as well as of the whole Balkan region is essential," Solana said in a statement.

"Therefore, I urge everybody to act calmly and in a responsible way," he said.

Solana added that he was convinced that the Kosovo leaders "will be up to their responsibilities in this crucial moment."

Reports said that Solana spoke to Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci after the latter made the declaration of independence in Pristina, Kosovo's capital.

EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on Monday to discuss the issue of Kosovo, a province of Serbia that has been administrated by the United Nations since 1999.

The 27-nation EU remain divided over whether to recognize Kosovo or not.

EU powers such as Britain, France, Germany and Italy are expected to voice recognition of Kosovo, while Cyprus, Spain, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia will not, as some of them face separatism at home.

With support from the United States and most EU members, Kosovo authorities officially declared independence from Serbia on Sunday.

But Serbian President Boris Tadic said that Serbia will never recognize the independence of Kosovo.

He urged international organizations "to immediately annul this act, which violates the basic principles of international law."

Kosovo was a southern autonomous province within Serbia before the breakup of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Among its population of 2 million, over 90 percent are ethnic Albanians and Serbs make up about 7 percent.