The leaders of the Netherlands and Luxembourg tell Kosovo and Serbia to normalize ties for EU hopes
1 year, 5 months ago

The leaders of the Netherlands and Luxembourg tell Kosovo and Serbia to normalize ties for EU hopes

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The leaders of the Netherlands and Luxembourg on Tuesday said that normalizing ties between Kosovo and Serbia would serve not only regional peace and stability but also their prospects of future integration into the European Union. Tensions between the two countries flared anew in May after Kosovo police seized local municipal buildings in Serb-majority northern Kosovo to install ethnic Albanian mayors who were elected in an April election that Serbs overwhelmingly boycotted. When EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak visited Pristina on Tuesday, Kosovar leaders gave a positive reception to the three requests from Brussels to lower tensions with Serbia. “I’m optimistic that good minds will prevail,” said Rutte, adding that de-escalating the latest tension was the first step to take and immediately “try to get back to a process, a step-by-step process to make it again.” Serbia and its former province Kosovo have been at odds for decades, with Belgrade refusing to recognize Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence.

Netherlands Rutte Serbia Luxembourg Kosovo Belgrade Serbs Pristina Kosovar Bettel  tensions  ties  serbia  eu  pristina  rutte  serbs  kosovo  belgrade  netherlands  process  kosovar  luxembourg  normalize  hopes  tell  leaders

History of this topic

EU envoy urges Kosovo and Serbia to resume efforts to normalize ties through talks
3 months, 2 weeks ago

EU envoy urges Kosovo and Serbia to resume efforts to normalize ties through talks

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The European Union envoy for the Western Balkans on Friday urged Kosovo and Serbia to step up their efforts at normalization talks, saying these are decisive toward the two countries’ membership in the bloc. The EU and the United States are pressing both sides to implement agreements that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin …

Kosovo shuts down 5 Serbian governing structures in the north and US reacts with alarm
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Kosovo shuts down 5 Serbian governing structures in the north and US reacts with alarm

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo authorities on Friday closed five parallel institutions working with the ethnic Serb minority, a move that was immediately criticized by the United States and could further raise tensions with neighboring Serbia. Elbert Krasniqi, Kosovo’s minister of local administration, confirmed the closure of five so-called parallel institutions in the north — where most of the ethnic Serb …

Kosovo celebrates 25th anniversary of the withdrawal of Serbian forces after NATO bombing
6 months, 1 week ago

Kosovo celebrates 25th anniversary of the withdrawal of Serbian forces after NATO bombing

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo on Monday celebrated the 25th anniversary of the withdrawal of Serbian forces following a 78-day NATO bombing campaign, which opened the way for its independence nine years later. About 13,000 people, mostly ethnic Albanians, died and about 1 million were deported until the NATO bombing resulted in the Serbian withdrawal and the establishment of an international …

Kosovo criticizes Council of Europe for not holding a vote on its membership, blames Serbia lobbying
7 months ago

Kosovo criticizes Council of Europe for not holding a vote on its membership, blames Serbia lobbying

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo on Friday criticized the Council of Europe ‘s decision against holding a vote on its membership, saying it deprived its people and especially its ethnic minorities of democratic tools offered by the continent’s top human rights body. Kosovo’s membership was not on the agenda of the council’s foreign ministers meeting after some members had required Kosovo …

Kosovo makes last-minute push to get its membership in Council of Europe approved in a Friday vote
7 months, 1 week ago

Kosovo makes last-minute push to get its membership in Council of Europe approved in a Friday vote

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The government of Kosovo is making a last-minute effort to convince Western powers to vote on whether to admit the country as a new member in the Council of Europe, the continent’s top human rights body. Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz in a letter Thursday to Theodoros Rousopoulos, the head of the Council of Europe’s Parliament Assembly, said …

Kosovo prime minister deplores new condition ahead of Council of Europe’s membership vote next week
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Kosovo prime minister deplores new condition ahead of Council of Europe’s membership vote next week

Associated Press  

TIRANA, Albania — Kosovo’s prime minister Wednesday deplored the fact that some Western powers reportedly have set another condition ahead of Kosovo’s joining the Council of Europe. Kosovo media reported that France and Germany want Kosovo to take a significant step toward establishing an association of its Serb-majority municipalities in the north to unblock a vote of full membership a …

EU leaders agree on opening membership talks with Bosnia, but with many strings attached
9 months ago

EU leaders agree on opening membership talks with Bosnia, but with many strings attached

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — European Union leaders agreed in principle Thursday to open membership negotiations with Bosnia-Herzegovina, even though the Western Balkan country must still do a lot of work before talks can begin. His action could prompt leaders of the Bosniak population to bolster their own capacity to protect their interests and possibly lead to violent conflicts that could overwhelm peacekeeping …

Senior US official travels to Kosovo to revive Kosovo-Serbia talks after tensions over currency
9 months, 1 week ago

Senior US official travels to Kosovo to revive Kosovo-Serbia talks after tensions over currency

Associated Press  

TIRANA, Albania — A senior U.S. official on Tuesday said he would be visiting Kosovo in the next days to put “back on track” talks on normalizing ties between Kosovo and Serbia, after tensions escalated over Kosovo’s decision to ban the use of the Serbian dinar. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar said he would discuss with Kosovo authorities …

German foreign minister visits Bosnia, urges Western Balkans join EU in face of Russian aggression
9 months, 2 weeks ago

German foreign minister visits Bosnia, urges Western Balkans join EU in face of Russian aggression

Associated Press  

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Germany’s foreign minister said Tuesday that Western Balkans countries joining the European Union is a “geopolitical necessity” that would make Europe stronger in the face of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine. “I would like all six countries in the Western Balkans to be able to join,” Annalena Baerbock said while visiting Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina. “The …

Thousands of minority Serbs protest Kosovo’s decision to abolish the Serbian dinar
10 months, 1 week ago

Thousands of minority Serbs protest Kosovo’s decision to abolish the Serbian dinar

Associated Press  

MITROVICA, Kosovo — Thousands of minority Serbs in Kosovo on Monday protested a ban on the use of the Serbian currenc y in areas where they live, an issue that is proviking the latest crisis in relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Tensions escalated after the government of Kosovo, a former Serbian province, banned banks and other financial institutions in the …

Leaders of Serbia and Kosovo spar at the UN over the latter's ban of the Serbian dinar
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Leaders of Serbia and Kosovo spar at the UN over the latter's ban of the Serbian dinar

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. He said it was “nothing …

Serbia will seek a UN Security Council meeting over latest escalation of tensions with Kosovo
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Serbia will seek a UN Security Council meeting over latest escalation of tensions with Kosovo

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia will seek an urgent U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss the escalation of tensions with its former province of Kosovo after its government decided to ban the use of the Serbian dinar and introduce the euro in areas where minority Serbs live, Serbia’s president said Friday. But parts of Kosovo’s north, populated mostly by ethnic Serbs, …

Serbia will seek a UN Security Council meeting over latest escalation of tensions with Kosovo
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Serbia will seek a UN Security Council meeting over latest escalation of tensions with Kosovo

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Serbia will seek an urgent …

EU envoy urges Kosovo and Serbia to step up normalization efforts before the bloc’s June elections
10 months, 3 weeks ago

EU envoy urges Kosovo and Serbia to step up normalization efforts before the bloc’s June elections

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The EU envoy for the Western Balkans on Tuesday urged Kosovo and Serbia to push ahead with faltering normalization talks before elections for the European Parliament in June. Miroslav Lajcak met for three hours with Kosovo’s top leaders — President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi — in the capital Pristina …

Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo hold a petition drive in hopes of ousting 4 ethnic Albanian mayors
11 months ago

Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo hold a petition drive in hopes of ousting 4 ethnic Albanian mayors

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo held a signature drive Wednesday in hopes of securing enough to oust four ethnic Albanian mayors whose elections last year sent tensions between Serbia and Kosovo soaring. The drive is expected to start soon Zvecan and Zubin Potok, two other municipalities in the north where most of Kosovo’s ethnic Serb minority lives. …

Albania’s prime minister calls for more NATO troops in neighboring Kosovo following ethnic violence
1 year, 1 month ago

Albania’s prime minister calls for more NATO troops in neighboring Kosovo following ethnic violence

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama urged NATO on Wednesday to further boost its military forces in Kosovo and secure the country’s borders with Serbia, warning that recent ethnic violence in Kosovo could potentially trigger a wider Balkan conflict. Kosovo’s border with Serbia was “out of control,” Rama said after an informal meeting of Western Balkan NATO …

NATO head says violence in Kosovo unacceptable while calling for constructive dialogue with Serbia
1 year, 1 month ago

NATO head says violence in Kosovo unacceptable while calling for constructive dialogue with Serbia

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that the recent violent outbreaks in Kosovo were unacceptable and perpetrators must be brought to justice. “I welcome that Serbia is prepared to cooperate in these efforts.” Stoltenberg also urged Serbia and Kosovo to engage “constructively” in a European Union-mediated dialogue that is aimed at normalizing relations between the former …

NATO chief commits to Bosnia’s territorial integrity and condemns ‘malign’ Russian influence
1 year, 1 month ago

NATO chief commits to Bosnia’s territorial integrity and condemns ‘malign’ Russian influence

Associated Press  

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — NATO supports Bosnia’s territorial integrity and is concerned by “malign foreign interference,” including by Russia, in the volatile Balkans region that went through a devastating war in the 1990s, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday. This is crucial for the stability and the security of the country.” NATO played a major role in ending the 1992-95 …

EU envoy in surprise visit to Kosovo to push for further steps in normalization talks with Serbia
1 year, 1 month ago

EU envoy in surprise visit to Kosovo to push for further steps in normalization talks with Serbia

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The European Union’s envoy for the western Balkans began a surprise two-day visit to Kosovo on Monday to talk with its leaders on further steps in normalization talks with Serbia. Miroslav Lajcak met with Kosovar Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, who is Kosovo’s main negotiator in the EU-facilitated talks with Serbia, from which Kosovo declared independence in …

Serbia to hold snap elections as president calls for country to be ‘united’
1 year, 1 month ago

Serbia to hold snap elections as president calls for country to be ‘united’

Al Jazeera  

Serbia will hold a snap election next month after President Aleksandar Vucic dissolved parliament in the face of political pressure at home and from the European Union. “We live in times that are difficult for the whole world, in times of global challenges, wars and conflicts when it is necessary that we are all united in preserving vital national and …

EU chief says investment plan for Western Balkan candidate members will require reforms
1 year, 1 month ago

EU chief says investment plan for Western Balkan candidate members will require reforms

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — The European Commission’s top official said Monday that a decade-long investment package for Western Balkan countries seeking to join the bloc could vastly improve the region’s economy but is conditioned on required reforms. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed details of the 6 billion euro package during a visit to North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, …

Serbia and Kosovo leaders break off talks without result despite EU pressure
1 year, 1 month ago

Serbia and Kosovo leaders break off talks without result despite EU pressure

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have refused to compromise at a fresh round of meetings meant to improve their bitter relations and they continue to jeopardize their chances of joining the European Union, the bloc’s top diplomat said Thursday. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who has been supervising the “Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue” process, said that negotiators had …

European Union to press the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to set decades of enmity behind them
1 year, 1 month ago

European Union to press the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to set decades of enmity behind them

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The European Union is set …

EU and US envoys urge Kosovo and Serbia to resume dialogue in order to defuse tensions
1 year, 2 months ago

EU and US envoys urge Kosovo and Serbia to resume dialogue in order to defuse tensions

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak and U.S. Special Representative to …

EU and US envoys urge Kosovo and Serbia to resume dialogue in order to defuse tensions
1 year, 2 months ago

EU and US envoys urge Kosovo and Serbia to resume dialogue in order to defuse tensions

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The envoys of the European Union and the United States urged Kosovo and Serbia on Saturday to resume their dialogue on normalizing relations before the bitter tensions between the two sides result in more violence. EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak and U.S. Special Representative to the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar met with Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Kosovo’s …

Kosovo-Serbia tension threatens the Balkan path to EU integration, Germany’s foreign minister warns
1 year, 2 months ago

Kosovo-Serbia tension threatens the Balkan path to EU integration, Germany’s foreign minister warns

Associated Press  

TIRANA, Albania — Germany’s foreign minister on Friday expressed the European Union’s deep concerns following the recent shootout between masked Serb gunmen and Kosovo police that left four people dead and sent tensions soaring in the region. Annalena Baerbock was in Tirana, Albania at a foreign ministers’ meeting ahead of the Oct. 16 summit on the Berlin Process, an initiative …

Analysis: Are Kosovo and Serbia on the brink of war?
1 year, 2 months ago

Analysis: Are Kosovo and Serbia on the brink of war?

Al Jazeera  

An escalation into a conflict in the Western Balkans was averted but the likelihood of future flare-ups remains high. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the Kosovo government’s “terror” had driven the Serb minority in the northern part of the country to an “uprising”. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti accused Serbia of supporting financially and logistically “organised crime” groups attacking …

What is behind renewed tensions between Serbia and Kosovo?
1 year, 2 months ago

What is behind renewed tensions between Serbia and Kosovo?

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flared anew over the weekend when some 30 heavily armed Serbs barricaded themselves in an Orthodox monastery in northern Kosovo, setting off a daylong gunbattle with police that left one officer and three attackers dead. Kosovo’s majority ethnic Albanians, most of whom are Muslim, meanwhile, view Kosovo as their country and accuse …

Kosovo mourns a slain police officer, some Serb gunmen remain at large after a siege at a monastery
1 year, 2 months ago

Kosovo mourns a slain police officer, some Serb gunmen remain at large after a siege at a monastery

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo on Monday observed a day of mourning for the Kosovar Albanian police officer killed by Serb gunmen in the north of the country in one of the worst confrontations since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Pristina accuses Belgrade of backing the “terrorists,” an accusation Serbia denies, saying they are Serbs from Kosovo protesting the …

Kosovo mourns a slain police officer, some Serb gunmen remain at large after a siege at a monastery
1 year, 2 months ago

Kosovo mourns a slain police officer, some Serb gunmen remain at large after a siege at a monastery

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Kosovo on Monday was observing …

Why Kosovo’s standoff with Serbs continues 15 years after statehood
1 year, 3 months ago

Why Kosovo’s standoff with Serbs continues 15 years after statehood

Al Jazeera  

Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but Serbia still formally deems Kosovo to be part of its territory. Unrest in the region intensified when ethnic Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo’s Serb-majority area after April elections the Serbs boycotted, a move that led the United States and its allies to rebuke Pristina. Last December, Serbs in north Kosovo erected multiple …

EU urges Serbia and Kosovo to respect their pledges after a meeting of leaders ends in acrimony
1 year, 3 months ago

EU urges Serbia and Kosovo to respect their pledges after a meeting of leaders ends in acrimony

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union on Tuesday called on Serbia and Kosovo to respect an agreement meant to end tensions between them and put their relations on a more normal path after talks between their leaders ended in acrimony last week. At a meeting in New York, EU foreign ministers said the commitments that Serbia and Kosovo made in the …

Kosovo’s prime minister blames EU envoy for the failure of recent talks with Serbia
1 year, 3 months ago

Kosovo’s prime minister blames EU envoy for the failure of recent talks with Serbia

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo’s prime minister on Monday accused the European Union’s special envoy in normalization talks with Serbia of not being “neutral and correct” and of coordinating with Belgrade against Pristina. Prime Minister Albin Kurti said EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak had coordinated with Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic in the EU-facilitated talks held last week in Brussels. Kurti also criticized …

Talks between Serbia and Kosovo break down again. The EU says their hopes of joining are at risk
1 year, 3 months ago

Talks between Serbia and Kosovo break down again. The EU says their hopes of joining are at risk

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — Kosovo and Serbia on Thursday failed yet again to make progress in talks aimed at improving their long-strained relations, and the European Union’s top diplomat warned that the lack of progress could hurt their hopes of joining the bloc. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who supervised the talks in Brussels, blamed the latest breakdown on Kosovo Prime …

Talks between Serbia and Kosovo break down again
1 year, 3 months ago

Talks between Serbia and Kosovo break down again

Al Jazeera  

EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell blames Kosovo for failing to implement a deal with Serbia on normalising relations between the two former foes. Talks between the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo on improving ties failed to make a breakthrough after Pristina rejected an EU compromise proposal, the bloc’s foreign policy chief said. Borrell blamed Kosovo for a failure to implement …

Kosovo’s president says Serb investigators are dragging their feet over attacks on NATO peacekeepers
1 year, 3 months ago

Kosovo’s president says Serb investigators are dragging their feet over attacks on NATO peacekeepers

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — Kosovo’s president on Thursday accused Serbian investigators of dragging their feet over an inquiry into attacks on NATO peacekeepers earlier this year in which dozens of troops and police officers were injured, some of them seriously. President Vjosa Osmani also called on European Union officials to refrain from showing any favoritism in talks next week aimed at improving …

Top US and EU lawmakers say West is too soft on Serbia when it comes to easing Kosovo tensions
1 year, 4 months ago

Top US and EU lawmakers say West is too soft on Serbia when it comes to easing Kosovo tensions

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — Senior lawmakers from the United States and Europe are calling for a change in the Western diplomatic approach toward Serbia and Kosovo amid concern that tensions between the two could rapidly spiral out of control. We would ask that the international community learns from our past and ensure we do not adopt a Belgrade-centered policy for the Balkans.” …

Top US and EU lawmakers say West is too soft on Serbia when it comes to easing Kosovo tensions
1 year, 4 months ago

Top US and EU lawmakers say West is too soft on Serbia when it comes to easing Kosovo tensions

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The letter, addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, EU foreign policy chief …

Does the West still want a democratic Kosovo?
1 year, 5 months ago

Does the West still want a democratic Kosovo?

Al Jazeera  

If the West is still serious about Kosovo’s sovereignty and the security of the region, it ought to act like it. Recent Kosovo-Serbia tensions culminated in Serbia “arresting” three Kosovo police officers without a clear cause, an act that Kosovo called a “kidnapping” and “foreign aggression” within Kosovo’s borders. Yet for the sake of stability and to bring Serbia under …

Serbia to seek meeting with NATO chief, UN Security Council session on Kosovo tensions
1 year, 5 months ago

Serbia to seek meeting with NATO chief, UN Security Council session on Kosovo tensions

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia’s president on Thursday accused Kosovo of carrying out “silent ethnic cleansing” of Serbs and said his country will seek a meeting with NATO’s chief and an urgent session of United Nations Security Council to demand their protection. “Serbian people have been cornered.” Vucic said he will urge the meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg next …

Dutch and Luxembourg PMs urge Serbia and Kosovo to defuse tensions under shadow of war in Ukraine
1 year, 5 months ago

Dutch and Luxembourg PMs urge Serbia and Kosovo to defuse tensions under shadow of war in Ukraine

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — The prime ministers of the Netherlands and Luxembourg on Monday urged Serbia and Kosovo to act to defuse recent tensions that have threatened to push the Balkan region into instability as Europe faces Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. “We cannot, both of us, emphasize enough how important it is that both Serbia and Kosovo take steps toward de-escalation …

Serbia again threatens armed intervention in Kosovo as tension escalates
1 year, 6 months ago

Serbia again threatens armed intervention in Kosovo as tension escalates

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia on Friday reiterated a threat to intervene militarily in its former province of Kosovo if NATO-led peacekeepers there fail to protect minority Serbs from what Belgrade called the terrorist threat of Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian authorities. In a brief televised address, the Serbian army chief-of-staff, Gen. Milan Mojsilovic, said Kosovo Serbs can no longer “tolerate the terror” …

No breakthrough after EU summons Kosovo and Serbia leaders for emergency talks
1 year, 6 months ago

No breakthrough after EU summons Kosovo and Serbia leaders for emergency talks

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo made no breakthrough in EU-hosted emergency talks on Thursday aimed at defusing tensions around their border. “I think the two leaders understand the severity of the situation,” Borrell said after hours of talks each with Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Borrell conceded that they have “different interpretations …

The West has lost the plot in the Balkans
1 year, 6 months ago

The West has lost the plot in the Balkans

Al Jazeera  

The recent escalation in Kosovo demonstrates the US and the EU have adopted a dangerous strategy of appeasing expansionist Belgrade. In 1989, as Slobodan Milosevic seized power in Belgrade, he imposed a new constitutional regime on Kosovo and turned the region into a veritable police state with ethnic Albanians stripped of virtually all civil liberties. In Serbia’s regime-aligned media, the …

Explained | What is the Kosovo-Serbia conflict all about? Why have tensions flared again?
1 year, 6 months ago

Explained | What is the Kosovo-Serbia conflict all about? Why have tensions flared again?

The Hindu  

The story so far: In the aftermath of one of the worst escalation of tensions between Kosovo and Serbia in at least a decade, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization last week sent 700 more of its peacekeeping troops to Kosovo. Currently, an ethnic Serb minority of more than 50,000 resides in multiple municipalities in the northern part of Kosovo bordering …

France, Germany urge new elections in Kosovo following flare-up in ethnic tensions
1 year, 6 months ago

France, Germany urge new elections in Kosovo following flare-up in ethnic tensions

Associated Press  

BULBOACA, Moldova — The leaders of France and Germany have urged their counterparts in Kosovo and Serbia to agree on holding new municipal elections in northern Kosovo, hoping that another ballot would quell a flare-up of ethnic tensions that have led to violent protests in the region. Speaking at a summit in Moldova on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said …

Efforts to defuse Kosovo crisis intensify amid more protests
1 year, 6 months ago

Efforts to defuse Kosovo crisis intensify amid more protests

Associated Press  

ZVECAN, Kosovo — International efforts to defuse a crisis in Kosovo intensified Wednesday as ethnic Serbs held more protests in a northern town where recent clashes with NATO-led peacekeepers sparked fears of renewed conflict in the troubled region. Hundreds of Serbs repeated at a rally their demand for the withdrawal from northern Kosovo of the special police and ethnic Albanian …

Why do Kosovo-Serbia tensions persist?
1 year, 6 months ago

Why do Kosovo-Serbia tensions persist?

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flared anew this week after Kosovo’s police raided Serb-dominated areas in the region’s north and seized local municipality buildings. Serbia raised the combat readiness of its troops stationed near the border and warned it wouldn’t stand by if Serbs in Kosovo were attacked again. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday the alliance …

Explained: Why tensions between Kosovo and Serbia are getting worse
1 year, 6 months ago

Explained: Why tensions between Kosovo and Serbia are getting worse

Firstpost  

There are fears of a huge escalation as tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flared up again this week after Kosovo’s police attacked Serb-dominated districts in the region’s north and seized local municipality buildings. Clashes erupt between police and local Serbs in northern Kosovo after new ethnic Albanian mayors take office. Last Friday, newly elected ethnic Albanian mayors moved into their …

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