Serbian authorities said Saturday their delegation has prevented Kosovo representatives from taking part in an international climate conference in Tirana.

The Serbian representatives insisted on the removal of Kosovo symbols from the conference, citing the UN Resolution 1244, which defines Kosovo as a United Nations territory and therefore it can only use the UN logo, not the Kosovo flag.

The conference had gathered representatives from Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia with the goal of lobbying for more climate project funding.

The Kosovo delegation could not accept the removal of its symbols and walked out.

A statement from the Ministry for Environmental Protection said that Minister Goran Trivan insisted on “strict” adherence to the UN procedures.