The International Court of Justice in The Hague will decide whether Serbia is accountable for atrocities in Bosnia during the war of the early 1990s.
If the Bosnian suit is successful, it will be the first time a state, rather than an individual or group, has been held responsible for genocide.
Bosnia could then seek billions of dollars in compensation from Serbia.
At least 100,000 people died in the 1992-1995 war, triggered by the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. Bosnia's Muslims and Croats wanted to cut ties with Belgrade, a move opposed by Bosnian Serbs.
Binding ruling
Bosnia says Belgrade incited ethnic hatred, armed Bosnian Serbs and was an active participant in the killings.
Belgrade says the conflict was an internal war between Bosnia's ethnic groups and denies any state role in genocide.
The case, Bosnia and Herzegovina versus Serbia and Montenegro, began a year ago and a panel of judges has been deliberating since hearings ended in May 2006. Their ruling is binding.
Relatives of people killed in the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men at Srebrenica are expected to protest outside the court as the ruling is read.
The war crimes tribunal in The Hague has already found individuals guilty of genocide in Bosnia and established the Srebrenica massacre as genocide.
The ruling comes with Serbia still facing challenges linked to the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.
Its passage into the European Union has stalled over its failure to hand over war crimes suspects for trial.
It also faces final talks with the United Nations on the future of Kosovo, with the province heading towards near-statehood despite Serbian opposition.
Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6395791.stm
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