Serbia - Kosovo Talks Break Down

 

France 24: Kosovo, Serbia leaders break off talks despite EU pressure for breakthrough  

EU leaders on Thursday failed to convince Kosovo and Serbia to make a breakthrough in the protracted push to normalise ties between the two Balkan neighbours. 

Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic held separate talks with top EU officials and the leaders of France, Germany and Italy in Brussels. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said a proposal was put on the table to overcome a key stumbling block on establishing an association of municipalities of Serbian majority in the north of Kosovo. 

"Unhappily, the parties were not ready to agree on that, without preconditions that were unacceptable to the other party," Borrell said. "We will continue insisting and working in order to get an agreement," he added. 

The two Balkan leaders blamed each other for the failure of the talks.  

Read more ....  

Update: Serbia and Kosovo leaders break off talks without result despite EU pressure (AP)  

WNU Editor: This is not going to happen .... European leaders urge Serbia to 'de facto' recognise Kosovo (Reuters).

Tensions Rise Between Serbs And Kosovo Authorities

Serbian military convoys are headed towards Kosovo.
Serbian President Vucic will address the nation at 20:00 local time (less than one hour). pic.twitter.com/QONvdIX26N

— Spriter (@Spriter99880) May 29, 2023

⚡️#BREAKING NATO confirms that 25 “NATO peacekeepers” injured in clashes in northern Kosovo — statement pic.twitter.com/M6EDDN0X6P

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) May 29, 2023

Reuters: NATO soldiers deploy around Kosovo town halls in standoff with Serb protesters 

LEPOSAVIC, Kosovo (Reuters) - NATO peacekeeping soldiers formed security cordons around three town halls in Kosovo on Monday to keep back Serbs protesting at ethnic Albanian mayors taking office in a Serb majority area after elections they boycotted. 

In Zvecan, one of the towns, Kosovo state police - staffed entirely by ethnic Albanians after all Serbs quit the force last year - sprayed pepper gas to repel a crowd of Serbs who broke through a security barricade and tried to force their way into the municipality building, witnesses said. 

In Leposavic, close to the border with Serbia, U.S. peacekeeping troops in anti-riot gear placed barbed wire around the municipality building to protect it from hundreds of angry Serbs gathering nearby.  

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WNU Editor: The clashes are getting intense (see video below).

The Serbs don't joke.

Clashes between KFOR forces and the Serbs in Kosovo.... pic.twitter.com/ihnp5ASzQ1

— Richard (@ricwe123) May 29, 2023

 

Tensions Rise Between Serbs And Kosovo Authorities  

25 NAT0-led peacekeepers injured in Kosovo in clashes with Serbs outside municipal building -- AP  

NATO-Led Force Moves To Disperse Crowds As Tensions Rise In Standoffs With Serbs In Northern Kosovo -- RFE  

25 NAT0-led peacekeepers injured in Kosovo in clashes with Serbs outside municipal building -- San Diego Tribune  

Kosovo: Fresh clashes as Nato troops called in to northern towns -- BBC  

Kosovo: NATO-led peacekeepers clash with Serb protesters -- DW  

NATO troops form security cordons in Kosovo as Serbs protest -- Al Jazeera

Serbia Puts Army On High Alert After Kosovo Serbs Clash With Police

 

Reuters: Serbia President Puts Military on Combat Alert, Orders Army to Move Closer to Kosovo Border 

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic placed the country's army on full combat alert and ordered its units to move closer to the border with Kosovo, the Tanjug news agency reported on Friday. 

Vucic's orders came as Serbs in the northern Kosovo's municipality of Zvecan clashed with Kosovo police who were trying to help the newly elected ethnic Albanian mayor enter his office. 

The local vote had been boycotted by Serbs who represent a majority in the area. Local media reported that Kosovo police fired tear gas at a crowd gathered in front of the municipality building.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: It looks like what Kosovo is doing is backfiring .... US, EU allies scold Kosovo for escalating tensions with Serbia (Politico.eu). 

Serbia Puts Army On High Alert After Kosovo Serbs Clash With Police  

Serbia sends troops to border after Kosovo clashes -- BBC  

Serbia sends army to Kosovo border as protest escalates -- DW  

Kosovar Police Clash With Protesters In Serb-Majority Northern Towns, Drawing U.S., EU Rebukes -- RFE 

Serbian border troops to maintain highest state of alert after ethnic clashes inside Kosovo -- AP  

Serbia's president says NATO-led troops 'did not do their job' to stop 'brutal' violence in Kosovo -- SKY News  

Serbia puts army on high alert as Kosovo Serbs clash with police -- Al Jazeera

NATO Rejects Serbia’s Request To Deploy Troops In Kosovo

FILE PHOTO: Serbian President President Aleksandar Vucic. Hungarian, Serbian and Czech leaders meet at Serbia-Hungary border © Thomson Reuters  

Politico: Serbian request to deploy troops in Kosovo denied by NATO 

Belgrade sought NATO’s authorization for deployment after a string of violent confrontations. 

NATO has declined Belgrade’s request to deploy 1,000 Serbian security and military personnel to Kosovo amid growing tensions between the two countries, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said. 

In an interview with Serbian television on Sunday, Vučić said that in a letter turning down the request, NATO’s mission in Kosovo — KFOR — declared “they believe that there is no need for the return of the Serbian Army to the territory of the Republic of Kosovo.” 

In December, Belgrade requested NATO’s authorization to deploy troops in neighboring Kosovo following a string of violent confrontations between Kosovo authorities and Serbs residing in the country’s northern region.  

Read more .... 

NATO Rejects Serbia’s Request To Deploy Troops In Kosovo  

NATO declines Serbia's request to deploy its troops in Kosovo -- Reuters  

Belgrade Says NATO-Led Peacekeepers Rejected Serbian Forces' Return To Kosovo -- RFE  

NATO Turns Down Serbia Request to Redeploy in Kosovo, Vucic Says -- Bloomberg

NATO turns down Serbia’s request to deploy troops in Kosovo -- Al Jazeera

Serbs Remove Blockades And Kosovo Re-Opens Major Border Crossing De-Escalating Tensions

 

Reuters: Kosovo re-opens major border crossing with Serbia, easing standoff 

MITROVICA, Kosovo (Reuters) - Kosovo re-opened its biggest border crossing with Serbia on Thursday, hours after protesting Serbs in its north promised to remove roadblocks, easing a surge in tensions that has alarmed world powers. 

Both the European Union and the United States have been pressing Kosovo and Serbia to step back from a mounting confrontation that has seen Serbia put its army on the highest combat alert. 

Serbs in northern Kosovo, who have been erecting roadblocks since Dec. 10 in protest at the arrest of a former Serb policeman - the latest in a long series of flashpoints - agreed to start taking them down after he was moved to house arrest.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: It looks like both sides have agreed to de-escalate .... for now. 

 Serbs Remove Blockades And Kosovo Re-Opens Major Border Crossing De-Escalating Tensions  

Kosovo Serbs to remove barricades that triggered tensions -- AP  

Serbs in northern Kosovo start removing roadblocks -- DW  

Protesting Serbs in northern Kosovo start removing barricades -- Al Jazeera

Kosovo Shuts Main Border Crossing With Serbia

A view of Merdare border crossing between Kosovo and Serbia which was closed by Kosovo after protesters blocked it on the Serbian side to support their ethnic kin in Kosovo in refusing to recognise the country's independence, near Podujevo, Kosovo, December 28, 2022. REUTERS/Florion Goga  

RFE: Kosovo Shuts Down Largest Border Crossing After Roadblock Set Up On Serbian Side  

Kosovar authorities have closed down the main border crossing with Serbia at Merdare after protesters set up a roadblock on the Serbian side amid escalating tensions between ethnic Serbs and authorities in Pristina. 

Merdare, on Kosovo's eastern border, was blocked by a truck and tractors, media reported. 

Northern Kosovo, where ethnic Serbs are a majority, has been on edge since November, when hundreds of ethnic Serb policemen, judges, and prosecutors walked off the job in protest at a decision by Pristina to ban the Belgrade-issued license plates inside Kosovo.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Countries are taking sides .... (1) Kremlin backs Serbia, denies Russia is stoking tensions in Kosovo (Reuters). (2) Germany urges Kosovo Serb militants to remove barricades (DW). 

Kosovo Shuts Main Border Crossing With Serbia  

Kosovo closes main border crossing after roadblock in Serbia -- Reuters

Tension soars as Kosovo shuts main border crossing with Serbia -- AFP 

Kosovo shuts main border crossing with Serbia amid protests -- Al Jazeera  

EU, US urge de-escalation at tense Serbia-Kosovo border -- RTE

A Second War Is Now Threatening To Explode In Europe

 

Daily Beast: Not Now, Europe. Second War Threatens to Explode 

As Russia’s unprovoked war in Ukraine heads towards its one-year anniversary, another European flashpoint is in danger of reigniting a second war on the continent. 

Kosovo was at the center of the last all out-war in Europe in the late ‘90s and tensions there have never fully dissipated. 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has this week put his army on its “highest level of combat readiness” to protect ethnic Serbian areas in northern Kosovo he says are under threat from Kosovo. Vucic says his military will “take all measures to protect our people and preserve Serbia.” 

On December 10, ethnic Serbs in the north erected nine roadblocks that essentially divide the area where some 50,000 ethnic Serbs live, angering the Kosovo government in Pristina, which is led by an Albanian majority.

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: This is one of those situations where everyone should be talking de-escalation. Instead, it is the opposite. 

More News On The Growing Tensions Between Serbia And Kosovo  

Kosovo: Serbia puts troops on high alert over rising tensions -- BBC 

Tensions Rise in Northern Kosovo as Local Serbs Block Roads, Serbia Puts Army on Alert -- Reuters  

Serbs put up new roadblocks, Serbian troops at ready as tensions soar in divided Kosovo -- ABC News Australia

Ethnic Serbs erect more roadblocks as tensions soar in Kosovo -- Al Jazeera  

Kosovan minister says Serbia aims to destabilise the country -- Reuters

Serbia Puts Its Arm Forces On High Alert Over Rising Tensions With Kosovo

BBC: Kosovo: Serbia puts troops on high alert over rising tensions 

The Serbian army says it is at its "highest level of combat readiness" after weeks of escalating tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. 

President Aleksandar Vucic says he will "take all measures to protect our people and preserve Serbia". 

The sabre-rattling is louder than ever and follows media claims that Pristina is preparing "an attack" on ethnic Serb areas in north Kosovo. 

The government in Pristina has made no comment about the allegations. But it has previously accused Mr Vucic of playing "games" to stir up trouble. 

The European Union has been attempting to mediate. 

The 27-member bloc is calling for "maximum restraint and immediate action", and for the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to "personally contribute to a political solution". 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The Serbian government is responding to numerous reports that Pristina is preparing "an attack" on ethnic Serb areas in north Kosovo .... Pristina troops on full combat alert — newspaper  (TASS). 

Serbia Puts Its Arm Forces On High Alert Over Rising Tensions With Kosovo  

Serbia places its troops on Kosovo border on combat alert -- AP

Serbia places its troops on Kosovo border on combat alert as tensions escalate -- France 24

Serbia sends military chief to Kosovo border as tensions rise -- France 24

Serbia Formally Asks NATO That It Wants To Deploy Up To 1,000 Troops Into Northern Kosovo To Protect The Serb Population

2/ After an @EULEXKosovo patrol was attacked last night, EUHR @JosepBorrellF said the EU “will not tolerate the use of violent, criminal acts in the north.”

“Barricades must be removed immediately by groups of Kosovo Serbs,” Borrell said.

🎥 BIRN pic.twitter.com/TT3mYt0m7t

— Balkan Insight (@BalkanInsight) December 11, 2022

Antiwar.com: Serbia Seeks Troop Deployment in Kosovo  

Belgrade formally asked NATO if its troops could return to northern Kosovo, a request unlikely to be granted  

Serbia has formally asked NATO if it can deploy up to 1,000 troops into northern Kosovo, where Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says ethnic Serbs are being “terrorized” by the Kosovo government based in Pristina. 

Vucic made the request to the commander of NATO forces in Kosovo, known as KFOR. Serbian officials say that a UN resolution that formally ended the Kosovo war allows for the deployment of up to 1,000 Serbian troops into Kosovo, but Vucic still doesn’t expect the request to be granted. 

“The request says that a certain number of (Serbian troops), from one hundred to up to 1,000, return to Kosovo,” he said.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The UN resolution that formally ended the Kosovo war allows for the deployment of up to 1,000 Serbian troops into Kosovo. But it looks like NATO is going to break this agreement and not permit this deployment.If agreements are not going to be honored, the usual outcome is conflict and in the case of the Balkans, war.

Update: This is not going to happen .... Kosovo submits formal request to join the EU, Serbia angry (AP).

Tensions Betweeen Serbia And Kosovo Near The Breaking Point

 

CNN: Kosovo calls for NATO intervention after weekend of violence amid rising ethnic tensions 

Kosovo’s Prime Minister urged NATO peacekeeping troops to intervene after minority Serb protesters blocked roads and unknown gunmen exchanged fire with police over the weekend amid rising ethnic tensions in the country’s restive north. 

At a news conference in Kosovo’s capital Pristina on Sunday, Prime Minister Albin Kurti asked the Kosovo Force (KFOR), a NATO-led international peacekeeping force, to guarantee “freedom of movement,” as he accused “criminal gangs” of blocking roads.

A fragile peace has been preserved in Kosovo since it declared independence from Serbia in 2008 following the 1998-99 war in which NATO intervened to protect Kosovo’s Albanian majority. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence. 

Read more .... 

More News On Growing Tensions Between Serbia And Kosovo  

Serbs in Kosovo clash with police as ethnic tensions flare -- Reuters 

Ethnic violence flares up as Serbs barricade roads in Kosovo -- Euronews/AFP  

Tensions Rise, Violence Reported In Kosovo As Ethnic Serbs Block Roads -- RFE  

Kosovo sees overnight violence amid political uncertainty -- DW

Serbian leader holds security talks over Kosovo unrest -- BBC  

Escalating tensions after gunmen attack police in northern Kosovo -- Al Jazeera  

EU calls for calm as tensions continue to run high in north Kosovo, Serbs continue roadblocks -- ABC News Australia  

Serbian President Vucic pledges to ensure peace amid simmering ethnic tensions in Kosovo -- Euronews/AP

EU Defuses Tensions Between Serbia And Kosovo

 

Euronews: Kosovo and Serbia reach deal on licence plate dispute - Borrell 

The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo reached an agreement to end their dispute over licence plates, according to the European Union's top diplomat. 

"We have a deal," said the EU's high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell in a tweet on Wednesday. 

The most recent rise in tensions between the two sides is over Kosovo's plan to begin fining thousands of motorists who currently have Serb-issued licence plates.  

Read more .... 

 EU Defuses Tensions Between Serbia And Kosovo  

EU defuses tensions over Kosovo car number plates -- BBC  

Kosovo, Serbia reach deal to end dangerous dispute over car plates -EU -- Reuters  

Kosovo and Serbia reach deal to end license plate row — DW  

‘Giant step forward’: Kosovo, Serbia reach deal on vehicle plates -- Al Jazeera

EU Not Able To Settle Dispute Between Sernia And Kosovo

 

The Guardian: Fears Kosovo-Serbia number plate row could spark violence 

Tensions rise over plans to fine ethnic Serbs in Kosovo who refuse to surrender Belgrade-issued plates 

A row over car number plates in Kosovo is threatening to erupt into open unrest and one of the most serious regional crises in years as tensions between Serbia and its breakaway former province continue to mount. 

The EU, US and Nato have expressed alarm after more than eight hours of emergency talks in Brussels on Monday failed to resolve the dispute over Kosovo’s plans to fine ethnic Serb residents who refuse to surrender their Belgrade-issued plates.  

Read more ....  

WNU editor: The EU is singling out Pristina for particular criticism .... EU slams Kosovo, Serbia over car plates dispute, as fears of violence grow (Politico). 

 EU Not Able To Settle Dispute Between Sernia And Kosovo  

EU fails to resolve Serbia-Kosovo license plate row -- DW  

EU warns of escalating Serbia, Kosovo car plates dispute -- Reuters  

EU fails to defuse tense situation between Serbia and Kosovo -- AP  

Serbia and Kosovo failed to reach license plate deal at Brussels emergency meeting -- Euronews 

EU raises alarm over escalating Serbia, Kosovo car plates dispute -- Al Jazeera  

Kosovo pushing for conflict – Serbia -- RT

Ethnic Tensions Are Escalating Again Between Serbia And Kosovo

Anadolu Agency: Serbia says army on alert as tensions escalate with Kosovo 

Serbian defense minister calls for dialogue, but says army will do whatever is necessary to protect citizens 

Serbia's defense minister on Tuesday said the country's armed forces are on alert as tensions escalate with neighboring Kosovo over the issue of car license plates. 

Milos Vucevic told local Happy TV the military will do whatever is necessary to protect Serbian citizens, including those in Kosovo. 

 "We cannot be relaxed, but we can advocate dialogue," said Vucevic.  

Read more .... 

Ethnic Tensions Are Escalating Again Between Serbia And Kosovo  

Serbia Sends Troops to Kosovo Border as NATO Could Face Another Conflict -- Newsweek  

Kosovo accuses Serbia of trying to create panic at the border -- Euractiv  

Number-plate crackdown raises tensions in Kosovo -- BBC  

Serbia says drones enter its airspace from Kosovo amid rise in tensions -- Reuters  

Fighter jets scrambled over alleged drone incursion at Serbia-Kosovo border -- Euronews  

We’ll shoot down foreign drones, says Serbia’s president -- Politico

EU-Mediated Talks Between Serbia And Kosovo Fail To Reach An Agreement

 

DW: EU-mediated talks fail to settle tensions between Serbia, Kosovo 

Serbian President Aleksander Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti did not reach a deal. 

There have been renewed tensions in recent weeks over an elaborate license plate arrangement for Serbian drivers in Kosovo. 

Serbia and Kosovo failed to reach a solution over recent disputes in the region at EU-mediated talks in Brussels on Thursday, but the two Balkan nations did agree to continue talking, EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell said. 

Borrell added that talks between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti would resume "in the coming days." "it is not the end of the story," he said.  

Read more .... 

EU-Mediated Talks Between Serbia And Kosovo Fail To Reach An Agreement 

Serbia and Kosovo agree to further talks to deescalate Balkan tensions -- Euronews/AP 

Serbia, Kosovo fail to break car number plate impasse, agree to more talks -- Reuters  

EU-mediated talks fail to quell Kosovo-Serbia standoff -- France 24

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Says NATO Is Ready To Intervene In Kosovo

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (left) and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg arrive for a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on August 17.  

RFE: NATO Forces 'Ready' If Kosovo-Serbia Tensions Boil Over 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance's peacekeeping troops are ready to step in if tensions between Kosovo and Serbia rise as the two Balkan neighbors prepare for further European Union-facilitated talks to normalize relations. 

 "While the situation on the ground has improved, it is the responsibility of all parties -- particularly officials from Belgrade and Pristina -- to prevent escalation again," Stoltenberg told a joint news conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels on August 17, the eve of a new round of talks between the two countries.  

Read more .... 

Update #1: NATO says it is ready to step up forces if Serbia-Kosovo tensions escalate (Reuters)  

Update #2: NATO ready to intervene in Kosovo – Stoltenberg (RT)  

WNU Editor: Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo have been building up for the past year .... After Two Decades, Serbia and Kosovo Are on the Brink of War (Politics Today).

Tensions Soar On Serbia - Kosovo Border

 

DW: NATO patrols Kosovo-Serbia border as tensions soar 

KFOR peacekeepers are "closely monitoring the situation" amid the worst tensions between Serbia and Kosovo in a decade, sparked by a row over car registration plates 

NATO forces in Kosovo have increased their patrols on the northern border near Serbia. 

It comes after Serbia deployed armored vehicles by a border crossing and ethnic Serbs in Kosovo protested a decision by Kosovo's government concerning license plates.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: NATO is responding .... NATO-led mission increases patrols on Kosovo-Serbia border (AP). 

More News On Growing Tensions Soaring On The Serbia - Kosovo Border 

Kosovo government offices set on fire over license plates row with Serbia -- Euronews  

Serbian Jets Fly Near Kosovo Border As Top U.S. Balkan Official Heads To Europe For Talks -- RFE  

NATO-Led Force In Kosovo Steps Up Patrols Near Border With Serbia -- RFE  

NATO steps up patrols as Kosovo-Serbia tensions soar -- France 24  

NATO increases patrols near Kosovo-Serbia border blockage -- CNN  

Kosovo tensions going ‘from bad to worse’, warns Russian diplomat -- TASS 

Standoff over Kosovo 'going from bad to worse,' Russia warns, calling on NATO to step up & prevent military conflict with Serbia -- RT

EU Warns Kosovo And Serbia That Their Efforts To Join The EU Will Be In Jeopardy If They Move Their Embassies To Jerusalem

US President Donald Trump participates in a signing ceremony with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, left, and Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti at the White House [Evan Vucci/AP]

Al Jazeera: EU warns Serbia over Jerusalem embassy move

EU voices 'concern', casting shadow over Serbia-Kosovo talks, as Kosovo president attempts to calm Muslims' fears.

The EU has voiced "serious concern and regret" over Belgrade's commitment to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, casting a shadow over the resumption of Serbia-Kosovo talks.

President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti are to meet in Brussels for a second round of EU-brokered, face-to-face talks to resolve two decades of disputes after clashing in war.

The meeting follows a high-profile summit at the White House where Vucic and Hoti agreed to improve economic relations - and in Serbia's case, following in the US's footsteps, committing to moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Read more ....

Update: EU warns Serbia, Kosovo over Israel embassy move (AP)

WNU Editor: Talk about undermining US efforts to bring Kosovo and Serbia together, while sabotaging US efforts in the Middle East.

U.S. Brokers An Economic Deal Between Serbia And Kosovo

FOX News: Trump oversees economic deal that includes Kosovo recognizing Israel, Serbia moving embassy to Jerusalem

The European Union had mediated talks for more than a decade.

President Trump on Friday oversaw the signing of an agreement between Serbia and Kosovo that normalizes economic relations between the two countries — and also includes Kosovo recognizing Israel, and Serbia agreeing to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

The Belgrade-Pristina deal was signed by their two leaders –­ Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo's Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti –­ in front of Trump in the Oval Office, with Trump describing it as a "major breakthrough."

“Truly, it is historic,” Trump said. “I look forward to going to both countries in the not too distant future.”

The deal came just weeks after Trump announced an agreement had been reached between the United Arab Emirates and Israel on opening up relations between the two countries.

The U.S. moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018 after recognizing Jerusalem as its capital a year earlier, and has urged countries to do the same. Until now, Kosovo, a mainly Muslim country, had not recognized Israel.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This is a huge agreement, and one that has not received the media coverage that it deserves. The European Union tried for a decade to accomplish what President Trump was able to accomplish in a very short period of time .... the normalization of ties between Serbia and Kosovo. There are still a lot of issues that need to be resolved between the two countries, but focusing on jobs and economic growth between the two is a very good start. I will admit that I was surprised by this announcement today. I did not expect it, and I have been following the Serbia - Kosovo conflict for almost 21 years.

More News On The U.S. Brokering An Economic Deal Between Serbia And Kosovo

Kosovo, Serbia Agree To Normalize Economic Ties Following Talks In Washington -- RFE
Trump lauds economic steps between Serbia and Kosovo -- Reuters
Serbia and Kosovo sign economic normalization agreement in Oval Office ceremony -- CNN
Serbia and Kosovo normalize economic relations in U.S.-brokered deal -- CBS/AP
Serbia, Kosovo to open Israel embassies in Jerusalem -- CNBC/Reuters

Serbia Puts Troops On The Kosovo Border On High Alert After Raids

NBC: Serbia puts troops on high alert near border with Kosovo after raids

Kosovo broke away from Serbia following a U.S.-led NATO bombing campaign in 1999 and declared independence in 2008.

Tensions flared in the Balkans on Tuesday after police in Kosovo raided Serb-populated areas.

Dozens of people were arrested, including a Serbian and a Russian working for the United Nations, officials said. Some 90 percent of people living in Kosovo are ethnically Albanian, with ethnic Serbs making up a tiny minority.

In response, neighboring Serbia ordered its troops near the border to be on high alert, and said it would be ready to protect its people if necessary.

Authorities said Tuesday's operation targeted organized crime and smuggling, which is rampant in the area following a 100 percent tariff on all Serbian goods was imposed by Kosovo last year.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Serb minority in Kosovo are rebelling against the high-tariffs that Kosovo has imposed on goods from Serbia, and in turn the Kosovo government is cracking down.This is far from over.

More News On Growing Tensions Between Serbia And Kosovo

The Latest: UN says 2 employees hurt in Kosovo police action -- AP
Serbian Forces ‘On Full Alert’ After Kosovo Police Raids -- Balkan Insights
Serbian troops on full alert after Kosovo police arrests -- AP
Kosovo police meet 'armed resistance' in crime sweep of Serb north -- AFP
Kosovo Police Operation Fans Tensions With Serbia, Russia -- RFE
Serbia puts forces on alert after Kosovo police operation in Serb-populated north -- Euronews
Serbian troops on 'combat alert' after arrests by Kosovo police -- Al Jazeera
Accept reality, Serbia does not control Kosovo: Vucic -- Reuters
Russia accuses Kosovo of 'provocation' over Serb detentions -- Reuters

Growing Tensions Between Serbia And Kosovo Over Possible Territory Swap

RFE: Thousands Protest In Kosovo Over Possible Serbia Land Swap

PRISTINA -- Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the capital of Kosovo on September 29 to protest a possible territory swap with Serbia.

Supporters of Kosovo's opposition Self-Determination Party held banners and national Albanian flags as they marched through Pristina toward Skanderbeg Square, chanting "No bargaining with national land!"

Kosovar President Hashim Thaci has mentioned a "border correction" that would bring southern Serbia's Albanian-dominated Presevo Valley into Kosovo.

Read more ....

More News On Growing Tensions Between Serbia And Kosovo A Over Possible Territory Swap

Tension flares in Kosovo over possible land swap with Serbia -- ABC News/AP
Thousands in Kosovo Protest Against 'Border Correction' Proposals -- Balkan Insight
Kosovo president visits disputed area after similar visit by Serbian leader -- Reuters
Serbia puts military on high alert over incident involving ‘Kosovo special forces’ -- RT
Serbian Army Put on High Alert Over Pristina's Actions - Reports -- Sputnik
Serbia's President Vucic to Ask Putin for Support Over Situation in Kosovo -- Sputnik