Day five: Barricades remain north

Barricades imposed by Serbs in the country's north due to former Kosovo police arrest Dejan Pantic now and five days continue to stay, while roads towards the Jarinje and Brnjak border are blocked.

Nearly all of them are closed apart from those of food and medicine, while schools and learning schools are not being maintained.

Otherwise, the overall security situation in the north of the country is currently the same.

Members of the Kosovo Police are continuing their patrol through mixed population areas north of Mitrovica, offering order and security to all citizens indiscriminately.

Barricades at the two border points with Serbia, Jarinje and Brnjak were established on December 10th by Serb criminal groups as a sign of protest against the arrest of former Serbian police officer Dejan Pantiq, by the authorities in the order in Kosovo. He allegedly organised a terrorist attack on the Central Election Commission offices (KQZ) in northern Kosovo.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said he expects the peacekeeping mission NATO, KFOR, remove the barricades in the north. While Minister of Internal Affairs Xhelal Svecla has said Kosovo police have the necessary capacities to act in this direction.

Calls for removing the barricades have also made the US Embassy in Pristina and Belgrade, saying Pantiqi's arrest is being used as justification for illegal roadblocks.

Masked Serb criminal groups have attacked the Kosovo Police, journalists and the EU mission, EULEX.

As a result, a Kosovo policeman has been injured, for which he has received medical treatment.

Today Escobar to Belgrade: Removing barricades in the north part of the agenda

US Special Representative for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar, following his visit to Kosovo, will today take the road to Belgrade.

The topics he will discuss there, according to Danas, will not differ much from the agenda of talks in Kosovo.

Escobar is expected to discuss the current situation, the removal of barricades in the north and the return of Serbs to Kosovo institutions.

Part of discussions according to this Serbian media is expected to be energy. The American role in de-scaling the situation, participation of KFOR and NATO.

The French-German proposal for an agreement to normalise relations is also expected to be discussed.

Escobar will also talk to Serbia's leaders about US sanctions, which have already been imposed on Milan Radojciq and Zeljko Veselinovic.

Otherwise, Escobar, within the framework of his official visit to Kosovo, has met with the heads of state.

During his meeting with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, the need to remove the barricades, which have been imposed by illegal and criminal structures designed by Serbia's president, Aleksander Vuciq.

“At the meeting has been discussed for recent developments in the country and the region. President Osmani has stressed the urgent need to remove barricades in the country's north, established by illegal structures organised in criminal gangs and instructed by Vuciqi”, the report said.

At a meeting with Escobar emissar, President Osmani has suggested that Kosovo continues to be a constructive party to the dialogue process, and that Serbia's actions are trying to undermine dialogue for mutual recognition.

The “meeting discussed how to further advance reports between the Republic of Kosovo and the United States, and in particular the request of President Osmani made in June 2022 for the start of strategic dialogue between the two states, as well as Kosovo's integration into Euro-Atlantic structures”, the announcement follows.

The prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has met the special envoy of the United States for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar.

It was discussed on the current situation and recent developments, especially in the northern part of the Republic of Kosovo, and was stressed that the barricades on the road should be removed immediately.

Also discussed at the meeting were reports between Kosovo and Serbia, the dialogue process and the road forward towards full normalisation of relations between the two countries.

The meeting was within the announced visit of US State Department Senior Adviser Derek Chollet, who, because of resulting positive with COVID-19, was unable to complete his visit.