MOSCOW. Dec 11 (Interfax) - Russia believes Kosovo remains part of Serbia but at the same time is convinced that sports should remain out of politics, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in commenting on the International Olympic Committee's decision to grant Kosovo full membership.

"I would like to reaffirm our principled position on the Kosovo issue. We have proceeded and continue to proceed on the assumption that Kosovo is part of Serbia, and this provision is stipulated in UN resolution 1244, which nobody has canceled," Lukashevich said at a news briefing in Moscow on Thursday.

"As for Olympic affairs, regardless of how discussions were held at the International Olympic Committee and how the voting passed at the Olympic Committee's 127th session in Monaco on December 9, [