Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited Serbia as part of a two-day visit to the Balkans for talks on a natural gas pipeline project.



Putin met with Serbian President Boris Tadic for talks on the South Stream pipeline, which would carry natural gas from southern Russia across the Black Sea to the Balkans and then on to Hungary and Austria.



Moscow has said it hopes the pipeline -- seen as a competitor to Europe's planned Nabucco pipeline -- will become operational in 2015.



Putin was also expected to discuss developments in Libya and the status of Kosovo.



Russia supports the refusal of Belgrade to recognize Kosovo's 2008 unilateral declaration of independence.



compiled from agency reports