Kosovo's new premier has said Serbia fabricated evidence he committed war crimes as a commander of ethnic Albanian guerrillas and that he is ready to defend his wartime record.
Mr Ramush Haradinaj was elected prime minister on Friday by Kosovo's Albanian-dominated parliament despite international concern he could soon be indicted by the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
Asked in an interview with Reuters news agency last night whether he would surrender if indicted, he said: "We have proven our commitment to international justice and to the Hague tribunal. If more is needed from us - and from me personally - I will fulfil my duty as a citizen."
The 36-year-old expressed pride for his role in the uprising against Serb security forces in 1998-99, but has been questioned twice by the UN tribunal, which plans to indict some former Kosovo rebels this month.
Serb leaders say the new prime minister was behind a string of atrocities against Serb civilians.
Mr Haradinaj, denying this, said the probe against him was based on "fabrications from Belgrade" and he was confident it would come to nothing. "All the tribunal has is the stuff the Belgrade government gave it," he said in English, dressed in a dark blue suit and red tie.
"I explained to them that I did my duty as a citizen at that time ... and that it is wrong to pursue the fabrications of a government which committed genocide here.
"They wouldn't wait until now if they really had a case," he added.
Haradinaj's comments may soothe Western fears of having to order NATO peacekeepers to arrest him, a move diplomats say could provoke a violent backlash from Kosovo's majority Albanians who see him as a hero of their independence struggle.