Explained: Why the EU is keen on resolving the border issues between Serbia and Kosovo
1 year, 11 months ago

Explained: Why the EU is keen on resolving the border issues between Serbia and Kosovo

Firstpost  

The necessity of finding a lasting settlement in 2023 that may result in mutual recognition between the two states has generated significant concerns due to the worries of another bloody war in Europe The Russian invasion of Ukraine serves as a sombre reminder that Europe’s unresolved issues can reignite. In December 2022, for example, Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić openly endorsed roadblocks near the main border crossing between Kosovo and Serbia, which was ironically blocked by trucks gifted by the EU. German chancellor Olaf Scholz and French president Emmanuel Macron believe that the French and German experiences in resolving highly sensitive issues after WWII can help Serbia and Kosovo normalise relations. The Franco-German proposal offers financial rewards with a deadline of spring 2023 and guarantees that France and Germany will strive for both Serbia and Kosovo’s entrance to the EU. The conflict’s history Since Serbia’s brutal war in Kosovo in 1998-1999 and Kosovo’s 2008 proclamation of independence from Serbia, which had the support of the US and EU, the relations between the two countries have remained strained.

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History of this topic

Serbia demands new elections in tense north Kosovo as well as return of Serb police and judiciary
3 months, 1 week ago

Serbia demands new elections in tense north Kosovo as well as return of Serb police and judiciary

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia on Friday demanded that an election be held and ethnic Serbs return to police and judiciary in a Serb-populated northern region of Kosovo where tensions have fueled fears of instability and new armed clashes. Populist President Aleksandar Vucic also called for the withdrawal of Kosovo’s special police from the region bordering Serbia that remains a flashpoint …

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 OKs referendums in 4 Serb-majority municipalities on whether to oust ethnic Albanian mayors
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Kosovo OKs referendums in 4 Serb-majority municipalities on whether to oust ethnic Albanian mayors

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo’s Central Electoral Commission on Saturday approved referendums in four Serb-majority municipalities to be held on April 21 on whether to oust their ethnic Albanian mayors whose election last year raised tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. The commission also confirmed a petition held in January in which about one-fourth of around 45,000 eligible voters in four municipalities …

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 …

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 …

Kosovo will impose the use of the euro in minority Serb areas, concerning Western powers
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Kosovo will impose the use of the euro in minority Serb areas, concerning Western powers

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo authorities on Wednesday said they would impose the use of the country’s currency, the euro, and abolish the use of neighboring Serbia’s dinar in the north where most of the ethnic Serb minority lives. Kosovo’s Central Bank Governor Ahmet Ismaili said starting Thursday, new rules on local transactions in euros would be applied in the northern …

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, 1 week 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. …

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 …

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, …

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 …

Vucic ‘wants war’: Kosovo PM accuses Belgrade of inciting violence
1 year, 2 months ago

Vucic ‘wants war’: Kosovo PM accuses Belgrade of inciting violence

Al Jazeera  

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Albin Kurti says Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic aims to create ‘another Republika Srpska’ in Kosovo by attempting to start a conflict. Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti says Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic planned and ordered an attack in northern Kosovo “to destabilise” the country with the goal of starting a war. But I think they …

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

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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” …

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 …

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 …

Kosovo's new mayor takes up post peacefully in minority area as West warns against ethnic violence
1 year, 7 months ago

Kosovo's new mayor takes up post peacefully in minority area as West warns against ethnic violence

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. Read our privacy policy A new mayor has been sworn in in northern Kosovo …

Serbia, Kosovo leaders in EU-backed talks to normalize ties
1 year, 7 months ago

Serbia, Kosovo leaders in EU-backed talks to normalize ties

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. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will convene the high-level meeting between Serbian President …

Kosovo, Serbia leaders resume talks in Brussels to normalise ties
1 year, 7 months ago

Kosovo, Serbia leaders resume talks in Brussels to normalise ties

Al Jazeera  

After more than a decade of negotiations, EU wants Balkan neighbours to settle on plan and put hostilities to rest. The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have returned to Brussels for talks to normalise ties and implement a European Union 11-point normalisation plan. The leaders are expected to discuss creating an association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo, which was once …

US envoy hails ‘historic’ EU-brokered Serbia-Kosovo deal
1 year, 9 months ago

US envoy hails ‘historic’ EU-brokered Serbia-Kosovo deal

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The United States envoy for the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue on Monday welcomed the European Union-facilitated deal on normalizing relations between neighboring Kosovo and Serbia as an “important and historic agreement.” Gabriel Escobar said the weekend deal between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Ohrid, North Macedonia “sets the conditions for normalization between Serbia …

Kosovo, Serbia agree on steps to implement EU normalisation plan
1 year, 9 months ago

Kosovo, Serbia agree on steps to implement EU normalisation plan

Al Jazeera  

Tentative agreement follows marathon talks between Serbian, Kosovar leaders and EU officials in North Macedonia. Kosovo and Serbia have tentatively agreed on how to implement a European Union- The deal on Saturday came after 12-hour talks between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and EU officials on implementing the normalisation plan, which both sides had agreed to …

Serbia, Kosovo agree on how to implement EU plan, envoy says
1 year, 9 months ago

Serbia, Kosovo agree on how to implement EU plan, envoy says

Associated Press  

OHRID, North Macedonia — The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have tentatively agreed on how to implement a European Union- Speaking at a news conference after nearly 12 hours of talks in the North Macedonian lakeside resort of Ohrid, Borrell told reporters that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti " have reached an agreement on how …

US envoy ‘optimistic’ about upcoming Serbia-Kosovo summit
1 year, 9 months ago

US envoy ‘optimistic’ about upcoming Serbia-Kosovo summit

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — A United States envoy of Friday urged Serbia and Kosovo to implement a European Union-facilitated agreement on normalizing their relations, calling it the best option to preserve peace and security in the region. Envoy Gabriel Escobar was in Pristina ahead of Saturday’s summit meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Ohrid, …

Serb leader says he won’t sign anything during Kosovo talks
1 year, 9 months ago

Serb leader says he won’t sign anything during Kosovo talks

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Thursday he won’t “sign anything” during upcoming European Union-mediated talks with Kosovo’s leader that are intended as another attempt to defuse decades of tensions between the two Balkan wartime foes. But after pressure from Serbia’s increasingly vocal far-right groups, Serbia’s populist leader Vucic appeared to backtrack, pledging he would never recognize Kosovo …

US endorses EU plan to ease Serbia-Kosovo tensions
1 year, 9 months ago

US endorses EU plan to ease Serbia-Kosovo tensions

Associated Press  

TIRANA, Albania — The U.S. has high expectations for a European Union- Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar told an online news conference that both countries, as well as Europe, would stand to benefit from the stability the plan would usher in. On Monday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti gave their tacit approval to …

European Union publishes Kosovo-Serbia plan after tough talks
1 year, 9 months ago

European Union publishes Kosovo-Serbia plan after tough talks

Firstpost  

Brussels: The European Union published its peace plan for Serbia and Kosovo on Monday, ramping up pressure on their leaders to come to a deal after tense talks in Brussels ended without a clear breakthrough. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said a next meeting with Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic would take place in …

Serbia, Kosovo leaders back EU plan, top diplomat says
1 year, 9 months ago

Serbia, Kosovo leaders back EU plan, top diplomat says

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have given tacit approval to a European Union- Speaking alone at a news conference after a series of meetings in Brussels, Borrell told reporters that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti “have today agreed that no further discussions are needed for the European Union proposal.” Both countries want …

Kosovo marks 15 uneasy years of independence from Serbia
1 year, 10 months ago

Kosovo marks 15 uneasy years of independence from Serbia

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo is celebrating 15 years of independence with a month of celebrations starting Friday while still facing serious challenges with Serbia, which refuses to recognize the autonomy of its former province. Europe’s youngest country unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on Feb. 17, 2008, nearly nine years after a 78-day NATO bombing campaign in 1999 ended Belgrade’s bloody …

Kosovo marks 15 uneasy years of independence from Serbia
1 year, 10 months ago

Kosovo marks 15 uneasy years of independence from Serbia

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. Europe's youngest country unilaterally declared …

Serbian right-wingers rally against Western plan for Kosovo
1 year, 10 months ago

Serbian right-wingers rally against Western plan for Kosovo

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Hundreds of Serbian nationalists rallied in Belgrade on Wednesday, demanding that President Aleksandar Vucic rejects a Western plan to normalize ties with breakaway Kosovo and pulls out of negotiations. The protesters are also strongly pro-Russian, and one banner read: “Betrayal of Kosovo is betrayal of Russia!” Serbian media reported that one group pushed though metal fences toward …

‘Ambiguous by design’: What’s in the Kosovo-Serbia deal?
1 year, 10 months ago

‘Ambiguous by design’: What’s in the Kosovo-Serbia deal?

Al Jazeera  

Proposed settlement is focused on conflict avoidance rather than achieving lasting peace, analysts say. “It’s certainly not a recognition from a Kosovo perspective of trying to move forward to full recognition and ability to join clubs in the international community,” Bassuener said. Opposition lawmakers held signs saying “betrayal” and “capitulation” as they interpreted the deal as de-facto recognition of Kosovo’s …

Serbia could become ‘pariah’ over Kosovo, president warns
1 year, 10 months ago

Serbia could become ‘pariah’ over Kosovo, president warns

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia’s populist president warned during a chaotic parliamentary session on Thursday that the Balkan nation could become a European “pariah” state if it rejects a Western plan for normalizing relations with Kosovo. The plan hasn’t been made public formally, but Vucic said it stipulates that Serbia wouldn’t object to Kosovo’s inclusion in international organizations, including the United …

Serbian president rejects calls for sanctions against Russia
1 year, 11 months ago

Serbian president rejects calls for sanctions against Russia

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia’s president said Wednesday that the European Union’s calls for his country to join sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine represent “a brutal” interference in the internal affairs of the Balkan state, which has asked to join the EU. Although formally seeking EU membership, Serbia has repeatedly ignored calls to align its foreign policies with …

Kosovo-Serbia tensions: Mood on the ground, possible scenarios
1 year, 11 months ago

Kosovo-Serbia tensions: Mood on the ground, possible scenarios

Al Jazeera  

Analysts say heightened friction in the Balkans may serve the Kremlin’s interests but cast doubt over a show of force by Moscow. The leadership in Belgrade accuses Kosovo’s government of plotting “terrorism against Serbs” in Serb-populated northern Kosovo. “I can’t imagine Serbia entering the north of Kosovo with either army or police, or both, because that would be a total …

Kosovo submits formal request to join the EU, Serbia angry
2 years ago

Kosovo submits formal request to join the EU, Serbia angry

Associated Press  

PRAGUE — Kosovo’s prime minister on Thursday formally tabled his country’s application to be granted candidacy status for membership in the European Union, a first step in what looks set to be a very long path to eventual membership. Serbia reacted with anger to Kosovo’s EU application and officials said they will ask the five EU states which have not …

Tensions in north Kosovo – whose agenda does the flare-up serve?
2 years ago

Tensions in north Kosovo – whose agenda does the flare-up serve?

Al Jazeera  

Ethnic fractures in the Western Balkans, including in Kosovo’s Serb-populated area, create trouble for the EU and US. “I am sure that the President of Serbia will keep in mind as he considers what sort of military steps – as unwise as they would be – he may be contemplating in northern Kosovo.” KFOR peacekeepers have played a critical role …

Explained: What's behind the long-running conflict between Serbia and Kosovo?
2 years ago

Explained: What's behind the long-running conflict between Serbia and Kosovo?

Firstpost  

Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo have risen again in the last week, with the former erecting barricades on major roads in Kosovo’s northwestern region. The actions fuel fears of a revival of the 1998-99 war that claimed thousands of lives and left millions homeless Belgrade: Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flared anew during the past week after Serbs erected barricades …

What is behind the violence between Serbia and Kosovo?
2 years ago

What is behind the violence between Serbia and Kosovo?

Al Jazeera  

Tensions rise in the Balkans with attacks on police, mass police resignations and delayed elections. What appears to be a simple row about car licence plates has amplified already strained relations between Serbia and Kosovo. He was one of 600 officers who resigned last month in protest against Kosovo’s plans to ban Serbian licence plates. Serbia’s President Aleksander Vucic blames …

Serbia’s Vucic seeks NATO approval to send forces to north Kosovo
2 years ago

Serbia’s Vucic seeks NATO approval to send forces to north Kosovo

Al Jazeera  

Serbian president said he was under ‘no illusion’ that NATO would agree to his request amid tension in northern Kosovo. Serbia will ask NATO peacekeepers to let it deploy Serbian military and police to volatile northern Kosovo, although it believes there is no chance of the request being approved, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said. Vucic told a news conference …

Escalating tensions after gunmen attack police in northern Kosovo
2 years ago

Escalating tensions after gunmen attack police in northern Kosovo

Al Jazeera  

Animosity remains high, with Serbia and Kosovo officials intensifying their exchange of words. Tensions soared in northern Kosovo after unknown attackers exchanged gunfire with police and threw a stun grenade at European Union officers overnight. “This attack, as well as the attacks on Kosovo police officers, are unacceptable,” EULEX said in a press release. ‘Masked criminals’ Animosity has mounted after …

Kosovo postpones local election in ethnic-Serb-dominated north
2 years ago

Kosovo postpones local election in ethnic-Serb-dominated north

Al Jazeera  

The election was due as ethnic Serb representatives resigned to protest a ban on Serbia-issued vehicle licence plates. On the same day, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic said he would formally request NATO permission to deploy Serbian troops in northern Kosovo, while conceding this was most unlikely to be granted. Kosovo’s interior minister Xhelal Zvecla said on Saturday that after the …

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