Serbia has officially demanded that its security forces return to Kosovo, despite Western warnings that such calls are unlikely to be accepted and would only increase tensions in that part of the Balkans, AP reports.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told state television RTS that the government has asked the commander of the NATO-led peacekeepers stationed in Kosovo since 1999 to allow up to 1,000 Serbian army and police officers to return.

Serbian officials say a United Nations resolution officially ending the war in Kosovo allows Serbian troops to return to Kosovo.

They say NATO- and European Union-led peacekeeping missions are unable to protect the Serb minority in Kosovo from harassment by Kosovo Albanians, and their security forces can handle the task.

The return of Serbian troops is unlikely to be allowed. German and U.S. officials categorically reject any idea of returning Serb security forces to the region.

Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo escalated again last week after Serbs erected barricades on major roads in the north of the province to protest the arrest of a former Kosovo Serb policeman.  Serbia raised the alertness of its troops on the border with Kosovo and warned that it would not stand by if Serbs in Kosovo, attacked. 

Meanwhile, Kosovo's prime minister on Thursday formally submitted an application to become a candidate for European Union membership.