Italy's FM meets with Serbian President

22 Nëntor 2022, 15:13Kosovo & Region TEMA

Italy's defence minister Guido Crosetto and foreign minister Antonio Tajani met Tuesday and engaged in an hour-long discussion with Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic.

The two ministers are on a visit to Serbia and Kosovo to ward off an escalation between the two countries.

Tension has risen between Belgrade and Pristina after talks lasting 8 hours on Monday in Brussels between Vucic and Kosovar prime minister Albin Kurti failed. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak were present.

"We will tell Kosovars that unilateral initiatives do not serve to reach a compromise. We want dialogue and an exchange of views to resume. It is up to us, as Italians, to play the role of peacemakers - as protagonists who do everything we can to alleviate tension along the border between Kosovo and Serbia," said Tajani after a meeting with Vucic. Also present were Serbia's foreign minister and deputy prime minister Ivica Dacic as well as its defense minister, Milos Vucevic.

The Kosovo government has meanwhile opted for a 48-hour postponement prior to beginning to impose a 150-euro fine that had initially been scheduled to be implemented on Tuesday for car owners that have not re-registered their vehicles and replaced Serbian license plates, with Kosovo ones.

The announcement was made on Tuesday morning by Kurti, who accepted a request made to this end by US ambassador to Kosovo Jeff Hovenier.

"I am happy to work with the US and EU to find a solution in the next two days," he said.

The failure of the meeting at the Brussels summit had aggravated further interethnic tensions, with rising concerns that the Serb population may engage in more protests and possibly violence, especially in Serb-majority northern Kosovo.

Calls for calm and moderation had been made by the EU, NATO's KFOR, and the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), who urged that unilateral actions be avoided that may foster further escalation of existing tensions.

Serbian president Vucic, in accusing Prime Minister Kurti of irresponsible behaviour and wanting clashes on the ground, had asked Western powers to pressure Kosovo leaders to ward off any worsening of the situation and to preserve peace in Kosovo. (ANSA)

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