Diplomatic sources in Brussel told Radio Free Europe that the EU Special Representative for the Pristina-Belgrade Dialogue Miroslav Lajčák is trying to organize an “ad hoc” meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Bratislava.
There is still no confirmation from both parties if they would agree to such a meeting, while Bratislava has been mentioned as a possible meeting place, as the two leaders were invited to take part in a conference on global security being held in the city.
The Government of Kosovo told local media that Kurti’s planned visit to Bratislava had been postponed due to the developments in the north of the country.
“It is not yet definitive if [Kurti] will participate or not,” the Government told Radio Free Europe.
Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić met with the ambassadors of the QUINT countries – the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany, as well as with the head of the European delegation in Belgrade, to discuss the latest escalation of violence in north Kosovo.
According to press release of the President’s Office, Vučić expressed great dissatisfaction and strong concerns over the fact that a part of the international community continues to tolerate unilateral moves by Pristina, which leads to violence against the Serbian community, and decreases chances of permanent peace and stability in the region.
Vučić informed interlocutors “to the true chronology of events during Monday”, where a number of members of the Serbian community were injured.
“The President reminded that he had persistently warned about this development of the situation, as well as the consequences that can lead to the unpunished behavior of the institutions in Pristina, which does not only fulfill obligations, but regularly takes unilateral violent actions against the Serbian community in Kosovo, with numerous and frequent incidents, resulting in injuries, beatings, mistreatment and open discrimination against Serbs,” the announcement states.
Vučić said that “it is high time that the international community reacts to the policy of Pristina institutions and to protect Serbs from increasingly strong pressures and brutal violence that is carried out in full view of all mechanisms, whose role, among other things, is to protect the community”.
The President expressed regret for the injured KFOR soldiers, but pointed out that a much larger number of Serbs were injured, that firearms and great physical force were used against them, even though they chose non-violent resistance from the beginning.
He added that in the current situation, the preservation of peace is of key importance, but also the most important thing is the safety of the Serbian community in Kosovo. Vučić urged the QUINT countries, which have the greatest influence on Pristina, to adopt and implement certain measures that would guarantee the safety of the Serbs in Kosovo, which is a prerequisite for any further discussions with the representatives of the institutions in Pristina.
President Vučić emphasized that Albin Kurti must withdraw his special units, as Serbs will never accept his occupation.
“I hope you will be able to reason with Kurti to withdraw his forces from the north,” said the President. He highlighted that Serbia will continue communication with representatives of NATO/KFOR in the best faith to preserve peace and stability.
The QUINT ambassadors and the head of the EU delegation to Serbia expressed concern about the escalation of violence and attacks on KFOR soldiers. They requested parties return to dialogue in order to find a political way out of the situation.
