Germany seeks immediate removal of illegal barricades in the north

After weeks of escalation, the German Foreign Ministry in a statement to the Austrian newspaper “Der Standard” requires that the illegal subx1-barricades established by Kosovo Serbs, which also pose security risks, should be dismantled as soon as possible”.

A spokesman for the Federal Foreign Ministry added: “We are very concerned about tensions in northern Kosovo”.

The Austrian newspaper writes that the last <x0 weeks, Serbs nationalist militants have set up barricades on the road in northern Kosovo. Among other things, they are protesting the arrest of a police officer allegedly attacking a polling station. There was also a demonstration Thursday in northern Kosovo, where a large Serbian flag” appeared.

Serbian “those nationalist militants who erected the barricades and organised the demonstration belong to supporters of the Serbian List party, which is directly under government control in Serbia. It questions Kosovo's citizenship and Kosovo's monopoly for the use of force in the country's north”, the paper further writes, broadcasts Klankosova.tv.

Twitter attack on German ambassador

In recent weeks, in northern Kosovo, where many Serbs live, there has been repeated violence against representatives of Kosovo institutions, but also against journalists. Rhetorica has intensified from Belgrade.

“Der Standard” writes that Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq even thought to send military personnel to Kosovo.

Serbian Prime Minister Anna Brnabyq has on Twitter attacked German Ambassador to Kosovo Jorn Rohde. Earlier he had called for the removal of barricades, which have also hampered road traffic for weeks”.

A German Foreign Ministry spokesman told the STANDARD that Rohde had made a clear statement and “once again called on Serbia and Kosovo to engage constructively in the EU-led dialogue”.

These issues were discussed at meetings between the Federal Foreign Ministry Commissioner for the Western Balkans and Serbian Ambassador to Berlin on 21 December and German Ambassador to Serbia with Serbian President Vuciq in Belgrade on 22 December.

Serbian Major Community Association

German Foreign Ministry spokesman added: “We expect a constructive approach from Serbia. We've made this clear in these discussions. It is important that Kosovo Serbs return to Kosovo institutions soon. This is in the interest of people living in northern Kosovo. At the same time, Kosovo must agree to implement the implementation of the Serbian Communist Association (a majority, St.red) agreed in 2013 and 2015. We support EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak in his efforts to finally make progress in the overall normalisation of relations between the two countries within the” dialogue.