Serbian president announces removal of Kosovo barricades after US, EU guarantees
BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic late Wednesday announced the removal of barricades in northern Kosovo after being assured by the US and EU that there will be no arrests.
Vucic’s remarks came after holding talks with representatives of Serbs in Kosovo.
Serbia has received guarantees from the US and EU that there is no arrest list for Serbs who took part in protests and setting up barricades, said Petar Petkovic, head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, a coordination body of the Serbian government.
Tension between Kosovo and Serbia has escalated since the Dec. 10 detention of former Serbian police officer Dejan Pantic on suspicion of attacking election officials.
Protesting Pantic’s arrest, Kosovo Serbs have been standing guard at barricades they set up at border crossings since Dec. 10.
Two new barricades were set up after Kosovar authorities blocked Serbian Patriarch Porfirije from entering the country ahead of Orthodox Christmas celebrations.
Kosovo, predominantly inhabited by Albanians, broke from Serbia in 1999 and declared independence in 2008. But Serbia has not recognized the move and sees its former province as part of its territory.
The EU, NATO and the US have called for de-escalation and the removal of barricades in northern Kosovo, while Serbia has requested to deploy its army and police based on a UN resolution.
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