EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and special envoy Miroslav Lajcak held separate meetings on June 22 with the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to discuss ways to defuse the situation in northern Kosovo. 

The ongoing crisis emerged at the end of last month as a result of protests staged by Serbs living in northern Kosovo, which resulted in nearly 40 KFOR peacekeeping troops being injured in clashes. The demonstrations were in opposition to the appointment of Albanian mayors, who were elected following snap local elections that were boycotted by the predominantly Serb population in the region.

Since then, representatives from both the European Union and the United States have been working to ease the tensions and foster a peaceful resolution.

“We put on the table concrete proposals,” EU High Representative Borrell said in a tweet after separately meeting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

Borrell added that there was a consensus on the necessity of holding new elections and emphasised that arbitrary arrests of Serbs by Kosovo police or mistreatment of prisoners is completely unacceptable.

He underlined that it is of utmost importance that the three Kosovo policemen currently detained in Serbia be released promptly and without any conditions.

Meanwhile, the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, will assume a more assertive role in monitoring the situation on the ground.

Different perspectives 

Following four-hour meetings, both leaders grasp the gravity of the situation, Borrell said, acknowledging that they hold differing perspectives on the causes, effects, consequences, and potential solutions.

Borrell announced that he and Lajcak will provide a report to EU foreign ministers on June 26, outlining the current status and the desired direction moving forward.

Following his meeting with Borrell and Lajcak, Vucic briefed journalists, stating that he submitted a comprehensive report detailing the severe injuries sustained by “innocent Serbs” who were “wrongfully convicted on charges of hooliganism and terrorism”, as reported by Serbian broadcaster RTS.

“I warned that the Serbs are in a very difficult position and that they do not want to suffer Kurti's terror,” Vucic said.

Vucic said earlier that he would travel to Brussels following Borrell’s invitation, but he would not meet Kurti.

“At this moment, I don't see any reason to talk with a man who provokes every day and wants to cause a conflict,” Vucic said after the meeting with EU representatives in Brussels.

Kurti said that the trilateral meeting was not held because Vucic rejected the idea. He said that he presented a document to Borrell and Lajcak about the abduction of three Kosovo policemen on June 14. He emphasised that the officers had been unlawfully detained by Serbia for over a week, calling for a public condemnation of Serbia's "aggressive actions" against Kosovo, broadcaster RTK reported.

Kurti stressed the need for early elections in the four municipalities in the northern region. He said the process should be conducted with respect for the rule of law, ensuring an open and equitable campaign, and guaranteeing free and democratic elections.

In relation to one of the EU's demands concerning the police, Kurti clarified that although the police are not stationed within the municipality itself, their proximity is deemed necessary due to the presence of violent extremists who have targeted KFOR soldiers, policemen and journalists. While the Kosovar side does not consider their presence desirable, it is mandatory to ensure the security and prevent any confrontations with these destabilising elements, he argued.

Boiling point 

The latest tensions between Serbia and Kosovo reached boiling point towards the end of last month, specifically on May 26 and May 29, when Nato-led KFOR forces employed tear gas and shock bombs to disperse a group of ethnic Serbs congregating in front of the Zvecan municipality building in northern Kosovo.

The gathering of Serbian residents was aimed at preventing an Albanian mayor, whom they deemed illegitimate, from gaining access to the municipal building. These incidents followed elections held on April 23 in four Serbian-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo.

The largest Serb party in Kosovo, the Serb List, boycotted the elections, resulting in a voter turnout of less than 3.5% and the election of Albanian mayors in the Serbian municipalities. The election results were not accepted by Serbs in the region.

Protests continued on June 22, when Kosovo Serbs in Gracanica and Ranilug demonstrated against the arrest of Dragisa Milenkovic, who was put in 30-day detention by the court in Pristina. Milenkovic was arrested a day earlier on charges of war crimes dating back to the 1998-99 period in Pristina.