NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged all sides to keep away from escalation of tensions following violence in May.
“I welcome recent steps taken by Pristina to lower tension, including reducing the number of special police in the north, and plans to facilitate new municipal elections,” Stoltenberg mentioned after assembly Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu.
“But it is essential to avoid further escalation. So I urge all parties to avoid inflammatory rhetoric and to act with restraint and in line with their commitments.”
He mentioned the state of affairs was “an opportunity for Kosovo to demonstrate that it is a responsible actor, working constructively for the benefit of Euro-Atlantic security.”
Unrest rocked Serb-majority areas within the north of the territory in May, together with a riot by ethnic Serbs that Stoltenberg mentioned left 93 NATO peacekeepers injured, some severely.
Northern Kosovo has remained riven by divisions and durations of unrest since Pristina declared independence from Serbia in 2008.
Tensions skyrocketed after Kosovo’s management put in ethnic Albanian mayors in 4 Serb-majority municipalities.
Kosovo is overwhelmingly populated by ethnic Albanians, however within the northern stretches of the territory close to the border with Serbia, ethnic Serbs stay the bulk in a number of municipalities.
KFOR is the nation’s high safety establishment and it bolstered its drive degree to 4,500 troops within the wake of the violent clashes in May.
The peacekeeping drive has been stationed in Kosovo for the reason that finish of the 1998-1999 warfare between ethnic Albanian separatist guerrillas and Serbian forces.
The European Union – which has been conducting a yearslong push to normalize ties between Kosovo and Serbia – has invited leaders from the 2 sides for a brand new spherical of talks subsequent week.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
