Kosovo has closed its main border crossing with Serbia in the past few hours. dangerous climb new episode diplomatic tension between the two governments due to disagreements over Serb minority living in the north of the lands ruled by Pristina. A government whose legitimacy Belgrade does not recognize, Refuses to acknowledge the existence of Kosovo as a country Since the unilateral declaration of independence in 2008.
With this preface, the Kosovo authorities decided to close after the transition. It was learned that some Kosovo Serb truckers blocked transportation. roads at the entrance of the important city Mitrovica with their own vehicles. This was the tenth act of a protest Alongside the Merdare border post is Jarinje, which has been growing for the past month and is now closed.
The dispute refers to a series of disputes over the unresolved issue of Kosovo Serb enclaves in Kosovo, an Albanian-dominated region. Actually, conflictpartially frozen over the last decade, reactivated months ago By the decision of Pristina to demand that Kosovo Serbs proceed in the process of full integration into Kosovo institutions.
Fight for the barricades
However, this is something the Kosovo Serb community rejects, arguing that: your rights are affected, when also in the last weeks they some former Kosovo Serb police officers were arrested and Pristina sent troops to the region. Hence the escalating protests again this week, as Serbia announced it was putting its troops on maximum alert and Pristina threatened to forcibly remove the barricades.
“We said we expect (NATO mission) KFOR to remove these barricades. prevent free movementSpeaking to EL PERIÓDICO, a newspaper from the Prensa Ibérica group, a spokesman for the Kosovo government said: “But if KFOR does not withdraw them, we will eventually have to do it ourselves because streets cannot be closed indefinitely,” the official added.
Unraveling the confusion is also difficult because both Kosovars and Serbs are fueling the specter of Kosovo’s existence. russian agents in what some see as a maneuver further internationalize the crisis. Kosovo, in particular, is constantly faced with the current tension. Moscow will destabilize the region.
Concerns of the USA and the EU
After saying this, Moscow did not miss the opportunity. Despite the ups and downs in relations with Belgrade, the Kremlin has hinted that it supports the Serbian government in this dispute. “Serbia is a sovereign country “It is absolutely wrong to seek Russian destructive influence here,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov.
Both in their own way as the European Union (EU) The United States (US) expressed its concerns about the situation and urged both sides to remain calm. “We do invite everyone to maximum restrainttake urgent measures to defuse the situation and avoid provocationsthreat or intimidation,” they wrote in a joint statement.
In line with this, European and US officials have assured their support. Pristina’s Promise No Kosovo Serbs will be arrested for participating in the protests. Similarly, the EU and the USA Serbian and Kosovo leaders to restore dialogue and find a solution as soon as possible. Time will tell if these wishes will come true.