The self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo has failed to garner the two-thirds majority required to become a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The vote was taken at the 38thsession of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris.
Kosovo's membership into the United Nations' body received 92 "yes" votes and 50 "no" votes and a few dozen abstentions.
However, according to UNESCO rules, admission into the body would need support of two-thirds of the 142 countries that voted, or 94 "yes" votes.
While Kosovo has been recognized by 111 countries since its independence from Serbia in 2008, the country's bid to become a full United Nations member has been blocked by Moscow, Serbia's ally.
The tensions between Serbia and Kosovo seem to remain in place over the 1998-99 war when Albanian guerrillas fought the Serbian army. Following the bloody war, Kosovo came under the administration of the U.N. and NATO forces until it declared its independence.
However, Kosovo's government had promised that if it became a member, it would protect the cultural heritage of the Serbs.