NATO’s General Secretary Jen Stoltenberg spoke over the phone, on Sunday, with Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksander Vucic. In a Twitter statement, Stoltenberg informed that he asked both leaders to de-escalate tensions in the north of Kosovo and show restraint.
He called on them to return to the dialogue table.
Stoltenberg re-iterated that NATO’s KFOR mission in Kosovo is there to ensure the safety and security in the country, and to secure the freedom of movement for all, implying the free movement of ethnic serbs.
I spoke to @avucic of #Serbia & @albinkurti of #Kosovo about the need to de-escalate in the north of Kosovo. It's vital both Belgrade & Pristina show restraint & return to dialogue. @NATO_KFOR’s mandate remains to ensure a safe & secure environment & freedom of movement for all.
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) September 26, 2021
Two days ago, it was Josep Borrell, EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, who called on both sides to de-esacalate and resume the dialogue, which has been stalling.
Tensions on the north of Kosovo started after the Kosovo government decided, last week, to require cars carrying Serbian plate numbers to acquire temporary Kosovo license plates when entering the country. This decision reciprocates the same policy imposed, since 2019, by Serbia on Kosovo cars.
This movement caused protests by the ethnic Serbs living in the north of Kosovo. Official Belgrade responded by sending military forces and deploying military aircrafts to patrol the border between the two countries.
