Kosovo has failed to obtain membership of UNESCO at Monday’s vote by member countries at the organization's general conference in Paris.

Ninety-two countries voted to allow Kosovo to join the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, three votes short of the two-thirds majority required to achieve membership. Fifty countries voted against, while 29 abstained.

Kosovo's has been recognized as a sovereign state by more than 110 countries but Serbia remains opposed to the independence of its former province. Russia, a close ally of Serbia, has blocked Kosovo’s bid to become a full UN member.

Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga told The Associated Press in Pristina that the narrow vote was a "missed opportunity" for UNESCO, but vowed to push on with efforts to become "an equal member of the international community."

Naturally, Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic hailed the vote as a diplomatic triumph for Belgrade.

"This decision reflects our intention never to give up Kosovo," Dacic said, according to AP. 

Kosovo applied for UNESCO membership in September. The organization's executive board recommended last month that it be admitted during the general conference in November.

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