Serbian, Kosovar leaders to meet in Brussels over recent tensions

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti will meet in Brussels on Thursday to find an urgent solution to current tensions as part of the EU-facilitated talks.

The Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue meeting was called by EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

"We need immediate de-escalation and new elections in the north with participation of Kosovo Serbs. This is paramount for the region and the EU," Borrell said on Twitter.

The time of the meeting has not been announced yet.

Vucic confirmed his participation in the meeting although last week he said the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue process is "pointless" unless the detained Kosovo Serbs are released.

Vucic said he will travel to Brussels to talk to Borrell but not to Kurti.

"I will go to Brussels to talk to Borell for an hour, two to ten, I have nothing to do with Kurti," said Vucic.

Kurti also confirmed his participation in the meeting.

"I will insist on the urgent unconditional release of three policemen held hostage by Serbia, de-escalation and normalization of relations," said Kurti.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday urged "all parties to de-escalate" the situation and welcomed that Serbian and Kosovar leaders will meet in Brussels.

He said that defusing tensions is "key for the security of Kosovo and stability in the region."

On Monday, the EU called on the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia to attend talks without preconditions to reduce tensions and return to the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue.

The last meeting of the EU-led talks was held in Ohrid, North Macedonia in March. The EU then announced that Kosovo and Serbia agreed in principle to normalize relations, but that the implementation of the agreement needs time.

On May 30, NATO decided to deploy 700 more troops in the KFOR, the alliance-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, after 30 of its soldiers were injured amid unrest.

Tensions have resurfaced following the detention by Kosovo of one of the organizers of the attack on May 29 on NATO's peacekeeping force who were deployed amid Serb unrest over the installation of ethnic Albanian mayors in their area.

Serbs gathered in North Mitrovica and tried to prevent the Kosovar police from operating, and three officers were slightly injured in the ensuing clash.

According to Vucic, a "hybrid war" is being waged against Serbia.

He said the ongoing dialogue process for the normalization of relations with Kosovo cannot continue with Kurti.

Serbia detained three Kosovar police officers last week, saying they were "planning an action in Serbia."

Kosovo claimed that its officers were kidnapped.

The EU requires Kosovo and Serbia to reach a final agreement and resolve disputes between them to progress in their integration with the bloc.

Most UN member states, including the US, UK, France, Germany, and Türkiye, recognized Kosovo as a country separate from its neighbor when Pristina declared independence 15 years ago, but Belgrade continues to regard it as its territory.​​​​​​​