Serb leaders to sign energy deal in Russia:Kremlin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Serbia's president and prime minister will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to sign energy deals that are seen as tightening the Kremlin's grip over oil and gas supplies to Europe.

The Kremlin's press service said on Wednesday Putin will meet Serbian President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica.

The visit to Moscow comes just over a week before the second round of the Serbian presidential poll and against the backdrop of a looming declaration of independence by Serbia's Kosovo province.

Russia is Serbia's only ally in its bid to block independence for the Albanian-majority Kosovo.

Pro-Western Tadic is facing hardliner Tomislav Nikolic in the run-off for the presidency. The first round of voting on Sunday was narrowly won by Nikolic.

Serbia this week agreed to allow the Russian-Italian South Stream gas pipeline pass across its territory while Russian gas giant Gazprom is to get a stake in Serbian oil monopoly NIS.

(Reporting by Conor Sweeney; Editing by Charles Dick)