By Evelyn Leopold

UNITED NATIONS, March 27 (Reuters) - Russia's U.N. ambassador proposed on Tuesday the U.N. Security Council hold meetings in Serbia and Kosovo to assess the situation before making a decision on the future of the breakaway province.

The U.N. mediator for Kosovo, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, had recommended on Monday supervised independence for Kosovo, a move fiercely opposed by Belgrade but strongly backed by the United States and European Union.

With Russia seeking to delay the process, ambassador Vitaly Churkin proposed reexamining a basic U.N. policy document and sending a council mission to Belgrade and Pristina to look at the situation on the ground.

Serbia is convinced its ally Russia would veto any council endorsement of independence for Kosovo. Moscow has been careful not to reject Ahtisaari's proposals outright but is in favor of put off any decision in the 15-nation body. Ahtisaari is expected to brief the Security Council on April 3.

Churkin said the council should review its 1999 resolution 1244, which still spoke of the then-Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, called for substantial autonomy for Kosovo and reaffirmed "the territorial integrity" of Yugoslavia.

The United Nations took over the administration of Kosovo in 1999, after a 78-day NATO bombing campaign ended a Serb crackdown on ethnic Albanian Kosovars.

Churkin said resolution 1244 was the "foundation of international efforts in Kosovo" and added: "To us it is logical to see where the international community stands on the implementation of Resolution of 1244 before we can consider Mr Ahtisaari's proposal."

Council members said no decision had been taken on whether the council should send a mission to the area.

Churkin said he disagreed with Ahtisaari's view that talks on the Kosovo issue had been exhausted and said discussions should continue. "We believe in a negotiated solution so how can one believe (that) if the talks are exhausted," he said.

South Africa's U.N. Ambassador, Dumisani Kumalo said his country was still reviewing the Kosovo controversy as borders in Africa were a big issue on the African continent.

Agreement among African nations had been reached years ago not to unravel frontiers that were set by colonial powers without regard to ethnic or tribal divisions.

"We believe that a decision on Kosovo will (have) very significant implications on other parties" who "may want to separate and gain independence," Kumalo said. "In Africa that is one issue that is very very real to us."

He said he expected other African members of the council, Ghana and the Congo Republic, to have the same concerns.

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