The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, urged Serbia on Saturday to immediately halt the movement of its military along the Kosovo border and withdraw the troops already deployed there.
The relocation of Serbian troops along the Kosovo border comes approximately a week after the September 24 attack on Kosovo Police in Banjska, Zvecan, which resulted in the death of a police officer.
Borrell told various international media outlets that the EU is currently in discussions with its partners and allies regarding the ongoing situation in north Kosovo, where the amount of weaponry discovered by Kosovo Police is considered “very serious”.
Following the attack, the Kosovo Police found and confiscated a significant arsenal of weapons.
The responsibility for organizing the attack was claimed by Milan Radojicic, the outgoing deputy leader of the Serb List, which is the largest party representing Serbs in Kosovo.
Serbia has denied Kosovo’s accusations of involvement in the attack, which Kosovo authorities have classified as a terrorist act.
Borrell emphasized that “at the same time, the Serbian military buildup near the administrative boundary line is very concerning. This must stop immediately”.
He asserted that there is “no place for military buildups and security forces on the European continent, and these forces must be withdrawn”.
On Friday, the United States called on Serbia to withdraw its troops from the border, referring to their relocation as “a highly destabilizing development”.
Borrell expects that those responsible for the September 24 attack will be held accountable and that Kosovo and Serbia will return to the dialogue table.
“We need to revert to a situation where both parties are engaged in dialogue and return to the dialogue facilitated by the EU, which is the sole platform for normalizing relations between them,” he added.
This attack occurred approximately two weeks after Prime Minister Kurti and President Vučić failed to reach an agreement on the normalization of relations during a high-level dialogue meeting mediated by the European Union on September 14 in Brussels.
Prishtina insists on the need for mutual recognition, while Belgrade maintains its stance on a compromise solution.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, which was declared in 2008, and enjoys the support of Russia and China in this matter.
