NATO chief requires calm and says the organisation’s peacekeepers have been able to intervene if obligatory.
The leaders of Kosovo and Serbia will be a part of EU-mediated talks in Brussels on Thursday geared toward averting what Pristina says is a menace of renewed armed battle, as ethnic Serb and Albanian residents of Kosovo say they see little hope of progress.
Lengthy-running tensions flared anew this month after Kosovo mentioned Serbs dwelling in its northern area – who’re backed by Belgrade and don’t recognise Kosovo establishments – should begin utilizing automobile licence plates issued in Pristina.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti instructed the Reuters information company in an interview final week that Belgrade’s “aggressive insurance policies” may flip into “an assault towards Kosovo in by hook or by crook”.

Kurti, who will be a part of Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic for the talks in Brussels, has agreed below Western strain to postpone the licence plate regulation till September 1.
“I don’t count on something tomorrow and each these males won’t remedy something. Tensions are unavoidable between Kosovo and Serbia sooner or later,” Malush Bajraj, 41, an ethnic Albanian resident of Kosovo’s capital Pristina, instructed Reuters information company.
The temper is equally gloomy amongst ethnic Serbs who make up simply 5 % of Kosovo’s 1.8 million, primarily ethnic Albanian inhabitants.
“I’m not optimistic that this spherical of the dialogue shall be profitable,” mentioned Nenad Radosavljevic, editor in chief of RTV Mir, which broadcasts to Serbs dwelling in northern Kosovo, citing the downbeat messages popping out of each capitals.
Escalating tensions
Kosovo, a landlocked Balkan nation, gained independence from Serbia in 2008, virtually a decade after an rebellion towards Belgrade rule.
In the present day each Belgrade and Pristina are searching for EU membership, however Serbia legally nonetheless considers Kosovo an integral a part of its territory. With Russia’s assist, it has blocked Kosovo from membership in numerous worldwide establishments.
Thursday’s talks are anticipated to cowl a variety of points from larger autonomy to municipalities in northern Kosovo with a Serb majority. Kurti has mentioned such a step would contravene Kosovo’s structure.
Good assembly w/#Serbia‘s President @avucic on the scenario in northern #Kosovo and the broader area. @NATO_KFOR will take any measure essential to protect security & safety for all communities. All should interact constructively within the EU-led Belgrade–Pristina dialogue. pic.twitter.com/JWOFqD32XT
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) August 17, 2022
In the meantime, NATO Secretary Common Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday known as for calm from all sides and mentioned the alliance’s 3,700-strong peacekeeping power in Kosovo stood able to intervene if stability was in danger.
“NATO will take any measure essential to protect security and safety for all communities. All should interact constructively within the EU-led Belgrade–Pristina dialogue,” he tweeted after his assembly with Vuvic in Brussels.
Stoltenberg mentioned NATO-led troops stationed in Kosovo have strengthened their presence on Kosovo’s northern border with Serbia due to the present tensions.
“However after all, we’ll act when wanted and we’ll act in a proportionate means as a result of our foremost intention is to assist to cut back tensions and to make sure all communities’ freedom of motion – the protection of all communities, together with, after all, the Serbs in Kosovo,” Stoltenberg added.
Vucic mentioned it was “a lie” that Serbia needs to intervene in Kosovo however added {that a} technology of latest Serb “youngsters” dwelling in there “don’t take into account Kosovo as an unbiased state and think about it as part of Serbia”.
“We’re going to have troublesome discussions tomorrow,” Vucic mentioned. “We don’t agree virtually on something.”