NYON, Switzerland (Reuters) - European soccer’s governing body UEFA will hold a vote on May 3 on whether to let Kosovo become a member, a spokesman said on Friday.

If it is approved as the 55th member of UEFA, Kosovo is then expected to seek full membership of FIFA in May, which would enable it to play in the 2018 soccer World Cup qualifiers.

Serbia has resisted Kosovo’s membership of many international organisations since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008.