Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic urges minority Serbs to end protests in northern Kosovo while a Serbian official says US, EU have assured Belgrade that Pristina will not arrest those who protested or erected barricades in the restive area.
Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic has called on ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo to remove barricades after being assured by the US and EU that there will be no arrests.
“We have received guarantees from the United States and European Union that none of the Serbs in Kosovo who participated in protests and who took part in barricades will be prosecuted or arrested,” said Petar Petkovic, head of Serbia’s government office for Kosovo, in a press briefing on Wednesday.
“At the moment, we have managed to preserve peace when we were on the verge of a serious conflict and bloodshed.”
He added that they “are now waiting to hear the decision of Serbs in northern Kosovo.”
The United States and European Union are mediating talks to resolve outstanding bilateral issues.
“We also received guarantees that Kosovo Security Forces will not come to Serb majority north of Kosovo without consent of KFOR commander and representatives of the local population,” Petkovic said, referring to the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force.
Vucic is also expected to hold talks with representatives of ethnic Serbs in Kosovo in the coming hours.
There was no immediate comment from Pristina.
Tensions in Balkans
Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have escalated since the December 10 detention of former Serbian police officer Dejan Pantic on suspicion of attacking election officials.
Protesting Pantic’s arrest, Kosovo’s Serbs have erected barricades at border crossings.
Two new barricades were set up after Kosovar authorities blocked Serbian Patriarch Porfirije from entering the country ahead of Orthodox Christmas celebrations.
Kosovo, predominantly inhabited by Albanians, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia and ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo have refused to recognise that, and their car licence plates are still being issued by Serbia.
The EU, NATO and the US have called for de-escalation and the removal of barricades in northern Kosovo, while Serbia has requested to deploy its army and police based on a UN resolution.
Source: TRTWorld and agencies
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