EU Foreign Ministers discuss Kosovo

2023-06-26 08:23:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Foreign Ministers of the European Union will discuss on Monday the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, and the recent tensions between the two countries.

According to the diplomatic sources of Radio Free Europe, the ministers will have an "exchange of views about the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue, after the increase in tensions in the north of Kosovo".

It is expected that the chief diplomat of the EU, Josep Borell, will report to the ministers, and then the discussions on this topic will continue. No formal conclusions or decisions are expected, except for the discussion of measures that the European bloc can take to convince the parties to take immediate steps to reduce tensions.

The European Union has expected that there will be a reduction in tensions after the last meetings that Borrelli had with the two leaders in Brussels, a week ago.

The leaders have not met with each other, but only with Borrell, separately.

Tensions in the north of Kosovo have increased since May 26, when the new Albanian mayors of the municipalities in the north - inhabited by a majority of Serbs - entered the municipal buildings of Zveçan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok.

The Serbian population, which has boycotted the elections, has opposed the action of the mayors and has continuously held protests in front of the buildings.

Tensions increased even more when the Serbian authorities arrested three members of the Kosovo Police.

Kosovo has said that it is a case of kidnapping, Serbia has said that the policemen were arrested on Serbian territory. In recent days, the Kosovo authorities have been arresting several members of the Serbian community, who allegedly participated in the violence against members of the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, the Kosovo Police and journalists reporting from the north.

Serbia and members of the Serbian community in Kosovo consider these arrests to be arbitrary.

The international community has asked Kosovo and Serbia to urgently reduce tensions and for Pristina to organize new elections.

The situation in Kosovo and the dialogue facilitated by the EU will be the topic of discussion in several other high-level meetings in the EU this week.

On Tuesday, the EU's special envoy for dialogue, Miroslav Laj?ak, and the General Director at the European Commission in the Directorate for Enlargement, Jan Koopman, will participate in a discussion in the European Parliament about the latest developments in relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

This discussion will take place in the Foreign Policy Committee.

There it is expected to talk about the recent meetings held with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vu?i?, but also about the measures that the European Commission has already started to take towards Kosovo, as a punitive measure for the developments in the north. .

Until now, several joint meetings between the European Commission and Kosovo, which exist on the basis of the Stabilization-Association Agreement, have been cancelled. The situation in Kosovo and the process of normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia are expected to be a topic of discussion at the meeting of the European Council, that is, the summit of the leaders of the member countries.

Something like this, according to EU diplomats, shows the commitment, but also the concern that the bloc has for the situation in Kosovo and for the relations between Pristina and Belgrade.

From these meetings, it is expected that Kosovo and Serbia will be called upon to immediately reduce tensions and return to dialogue.

However, the two countries are also expected to be warned about the consequences they may have, in case they do not demonstrate the will for prudent and constructive behavior./ Rel