Germany calls on Serbia and Kosovo to de-escalate tensions

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - Germany on Friday called on Serbia and Kosovo to take immediate steps to reduce tensions after a series of incidents on their border.

“We urge both sides, Serbia and Kosovo, to do everything in their power to defuse this alarming situation immediately,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told a news conference in Berlin.

She said as one of the first steps, Serbian authorities should “unconditionally” release three Kosovo police officers, who were arrested on Wednesday.

Tensions rose in Kosovo following the election of ethnic Albanian mayors in four northern districts in April. Albanians are Kosovo’s main ethnic group, but ethnic Serbs predominate in the north, near the border with Serbia.

The Serbs have been protesting the election of the mayors since late May.

At least 30 NATO peacekeeping KFOR soldiers were injured on May 29 while clashing with protesting Serbs who were trying to block one of the new mayors from taking his oath of office.

On May 26, Serbia’s president ordered the army to move closer to the border with Kosovo and placed it on high alert.