US, EU urge immediate clearance at difficult Serbia-Kosovo border | World news
The European Union and the United States urged Kosovo and Serbia on Wednesday to take “immediate” steps to reduce tensions amid a escalating conflict along their border.
“The European Union and the United States of America are concerned about the continuing tense situation in the north of Kosovo,” they said in a joint statement.
“We call on everyone to exercise maximum restraint, to take immediate action to deescalate the situation, and to avoid provocations, threats, or intimidation,” they said, after Kosovo closed its huge border with its neighbor your north
The EU and the US said they were working with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to find a political solution to one of the worst violence in years in northern Kosovo, where Serbs are the majority.
Northern Kosovo has been on edge since November when hundreds of Serb family members of the Kosovo police and judges and prosecutors walked off the job.
They were protesting a controversial decision to ban Serbs living in Kosovo from using Belgrade’s car license plates – a policy that Pristina eventually overturned.
On December 10, protesting Serbs set up barriers that effectively shut down traffic on two border crossings.
Several attacks have targeted Kosovar police and international peacekeepers, and Serbian forces have continued to be on the alert.
Early on Tuesday, dozens of demonstrators on the Serbian side of the border used trucks and tractors to stop traffic to Merdare, the largest crossing between the neighbors – a move which forced Kosovo police to close the entry point. Thursday.
In their statement, the EU and the US said they have welcomed the assurances from Kosovar officials that there is no arrest list for Serbs who may have participated in peaceful protests and building blockades.
“At the same time, the law must be respected, and any kind of violence is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” they said.
“We also expect Kosovo and Serbia to return to a sustainable environment worthy of reconciliation, regional stability, and cooperation for the benefit of their citizens,” they said.
