Italy, the US, France, Germany, the UK and the European Union have issued a joint statement welcoming the referendum on constitutional change due to take place in Serbia on Sunday.
The statement hailed the referendum as a "key step to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and to enhance the transparency and effectiveness of the country’s rule of law institutions".
The statement vowed to support Serbia’s EU accession process, encouraged all the country's electors to vote in the referendum and criticised Pristina for preventing the collection of Kosovo Serb ballots.
"We note with regret that the Kosovo government has not allowed the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to collect ballots of eligible voters living in Kosovo for the upcoming referendum in accordance with past practice," said the statement.
The statement urged Pristina "to allow Serbs in Kosovo to exercise their right to vote in elections and electoral processes.
