Serbia responded angrily yesterday to the decision of Montenegro and Macedonia to recognize the independence of its breakaway province of Kosovo.

Serbia was expelling on Friday the Macedonia's ambassador to Belgrade after it took the same step against Montenegro's envoy a day earlier, reports reaching here from Skopje said.

Also on Friday, Zoran Popovic, the Serbian ambassador to Skopje, handed over a protest note to the Macedonian foreign ministry, asking Macedonia to reevaluate its decision to recognize Kosovo's independence.

The decision of Montenegro and Macedonia to recognize Kosovo's independence was "deeply wrong" and ran "contrary to international law," said Serbian President Boris Tadic.

Their move would also jeopardize regional stability and good-neighborly relations, said the president in a statement.

It was not immediately known whether the Serbian ambassador would be withdrawn from Macedonia or whether Serbia would slap other sanctions on Macedonia for its decision.

The governments of Montenegro and Macedonia announced on Thursday that they have officially recognized the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo.

Montenegro and Macedonia, both seeking membership in NATO and the European Union, have been under pressure from the United States and some EU countries to recognize the statehood of Kosovo.

On Wednesday, Serbia just secured a diplomatic victory at the U.N. General Assembly, which adopted a resolution approving Serbia's request for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to rule on whether Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence was legal.

Serbia hoped that it would stop the further recognition of its province.

Kosovo, a southern Serbian province where 90 percent of its 2 million people are ethnic Albanians, unilaterally declared independence in February.

So far, it has been recognized by about 50 countries, but its independence is vehemently opposed by Serbia and Russia.