The special representative of the European Union for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak, met in Belgrade with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, to discuss the ongoing tensions with Kosovo.
Through a post on social networks, Lajçak said there was an open and honest discussion and that Vucic understands the seriousness of the situation.
“I continued my mission in Belgrade today to meet with President Aleksandar Vucic. We had an open and honest discussion about a political solution that would lower tensions and allow the barricades to be lifted. He understands the seriousness of the situation,” Lajçak wrote on Twitter.
He was joined by US Special Envoy for the Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, who also met with Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. The prime minister spoke of a need to implement signed agreements, and she accused Kosovo of arresting Serbs with no lawful basis.
“The arrest of members of the Serbian nationality without any proof or accusation is a violation of all civilised norms, the basic postulates of the rule of law, and ultimately, another in the series of violations of the agreements signed and guaranteed by the European Union”, she said in a statement.
Kosovo police arrested several ethnic Serbs that they say were involved in various attacks in the north. These included grenade attacks, explosions, and gunfire against police, electoral commission premises, EULEX, and journalists.
The head of EULEX, Lars Gunnar Wigemark, said today that the security situation in the north of Kosovo is very serious and that EULEX has tripled its forces.
But according to Wigemark, it is not competent to take control in the north instead of the Kosovo police, and that the barricades should be removed peacefully.
“So far, the Kosovo police have not asked us to help remove the barricades, for now we have only been asked to monitor the situation, which we are doing, we have tripled our presence, we are trying to be as present as possible to calm down the situation, but we have neither the authority nor the strength to physically remove the barricades”, said Wigemark in an interview for Tanjug.
(Alice Taylor | Exit.al)
Source: euractiv.com
