Stoltenberg today meets Kurt and Vuchchi

Secretary - General NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, expects the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels on Wednesday, at the time when officials from these two states have hardened rhetoric following the establishment of barricades in the north three weeks ago.

Stoltenberg will hold separate meetings with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq. After each meeting, it has been warned there will be a press conference.

Initially, Stoltenberg will hold a meeting with Vuciqi at 3:30, while meeting with Kurt will take place at 5: 00 p.m.

Meetings at NATO headquarters come a day before Kurti and Vuciq, yes in Brussels, will meet to continue the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, mediated by the European Union.

Meetings at the European helm are held at the time of increasing tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, after 31 July and 1 August, local Serbs set up barricades in northern Kosovo to reject two executive decisions led by Kurti.

The first decision has to do with issuing the entry and exit document to all citizens of Serbia, once they enter Kosovo's territory. Such documents are released for Kosovo citizens for 11 years.

Meanwhile, the second decision concerns reregistering Serbia's license plates. It is estimated that 10,000 cars with Kosovo acronym plates, such as PZ, KM, and similar, circulate in the Serb-run majority north. Pristina considers these plates illegal.

Mission NATO in Kosovo, KFOR said on July 31st he was willing to intervene on whether stability would be jeopardised, under the mandate leading up to UN Resolution 1244.

Stoltenberg expressed the same attitude during a telephone conversation with Vucinqi on August 3rd.

The “all sides should engage constructively in the dialogue mediated by the European Union and resolve differences through diplomacy”, Stoltenberg had said on Twitter after talking to Vuciqi. / REL/