European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell called Monday on Belgrade and Pristina to de-escalate the situation in north Kosovo where the Kosovo Serbs have been blocking roads over the arrest of former Kosovo police officer Dejan Pantic.
Prior to the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Borrell said that the two sides have to go back to the dialogue.
“They have to overcome this tendency of fighting in the street, of creating blockades. It is not the way of looking for an agreement. It is not the way to conduct the talks. It is not the way to look for solutions. It is not the way to look for the normalization process in which they are engaged,” said Borrell.
He added that the EU thought that things would calm down following the agreement on the license plates that has been reached, “but, once again, the Kosovo Serbs answered to the arrest of a former Kosovo Serb policeman with a lot of troubles in the streets, blocking the roads, and even throwing stun grenades to some of our (EULEX) police officers.”
“You can understand this is not acceptable… This alteration of the public order, this violence are not affordable,” said Borrell.
He added that he was in touch with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and that EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak was in touch with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
“I know that the two parties are willing to de-escalate, and I am strongly calling on the two of them to do it,” said Borrell.