Kosovo-Serbia talks in Brussels stress in the north

The arrest of a Serb in northern Kosovo suspected of burning Serbian cars led to remote clashes between Pristina and Belgrade for creating a deliberate climate of tension at the time of dialogue.

Kosovo and Serbia's top negotiators, Besnik Bislimi and Petar Petkovovic, meet this Tuesday in Brussels to discuss implementing the Ohrid Agreement for normalising Kosovo-Serbia relations. The meeting between the chief negotiators takes place at the time of new tensions in northern Kosovo, following the burning of several Serbian citizens' cars bearing plates with Kosovo initials, (RKS). Saturday evening in the municipality of Leposavicic, unknown people burned three cars, two of which had RKS license plates. Kosovo police have arrested a member of the Serb community in northern Mitrovica on April 1st under an action to combat organised crime and prevent the conduct of criminal acts. Kosovo police, reported that following intensive investigations, they arrested a person suspected of burning Serbian cars. According to police suspected of several criminal acts, including participating in an attack on a Kosovo Police unit, “participation or organisation of the organised criminal group”, “attempted assassination”, “cause of general risk” and “assault on the official during the official's performance of the official task”.

Serbian reactions following Kosovo arrest, response

The arrest prompted the reaction of List Srpska, which said that the official party is mistreating the Serb people in the north, who will react angrily to”. “To clarify, this will not be any warning, but a general uprising to stop Albin Kurti's crackdown on innocent citizens”, the Serbian List statement said. Meanwhile, Serbia's Foreign Minister, Ivica Dacic, said that “through the arrest of Serbs in Kosovo, the Government of Kosovo wants to destabilise the situation and avoid obligations it has undertaken through the Ohrid” agreement. The “is very clear that an old situation is on the horizon, and a new crisis produced by Pristina”, Daciq said, urging the international community to urgently respond “” and pressure authorities in Pristina to prevent the escalation of the situation.

But Kosovo Interior Minister Jedal Svecla retorted, saying the arrest “has been an active part of the criminal structure of the so-called Civil guard, and earlier he had attacked the Kosovo Police, wounding two of its officials”. “After burning cars in the north lies Belgrade, with the goal of causing fear in citizens. Security organs have evidence of the involvement of detainees in attacks on the critical infrastructure of the Republic”, Minister Svecla wrote.

International Reactions

Shares in burning Serbian cars were strongly condemned by the ambassadors of the QUINT countries. There was also criticism of List Srpska, which is not condemning such violent acts. US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeff Hovenier said the US condemns “criminal vehicle management north of Kosovo”. Kosovo's “government has the responsibility to protect its citizens and provide accounts for these criminal acts”, he wrote on Twitter.

German Ambassador Jörn Rode wrote why the Serbian List, the largest Serb party in Kosovo, did not condemn the incidents in municipalities in the north. The Serbian List did not again condemn the burning of citizens' cars. All should be united in condemning this practice”, he wrote on Twitter. The chief of the EU office in Kosovo, Thomas Szunyog, said that “the damage to private property that has occurred over the past two days is aimed at intimidating the local population”. This is unacceptable and must be condemned by all relevant actors”, Szunyog said. This call was joined by British Ambassador Nicholas Abbott and other ambassadors of the QUINT countries. “All serious political actors must condemn these acts of violence and the risks they pose for stability and tranquillity. Quick investigations into this criminality are necessary and must be carried out with sensitivity and seriousness”, Ambassador Abbott said.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said the last <x0 criminal actions in the north of the Republic of Kosovo, orchestrated by Belgrade-backed illegal structures, are aimed at intimidating and running the local Serbian population, as well as creating a climate of fear and uncertainty”. The president stressed that “Kosovo will continue to be fully co-ordinated with international allies to continue efforts for peace, security and sustainable stability, while committed to implementing the rule and law in the entire territory of the Republic”.

Why do cars burn with RKS license plates?

The burning of Serbian cars with license plates of the Republic of Kosovo The RKS, has become a phenomenon in northern Kosovo, inhabited by the Serb majority. This started last year when the process of re-registering cars from Serbia's KM license plates, which Kosovo names illegal, began on Kosovo's RKS license plates. The process of re-registering cars caused tensions in the north, where by July 31st last year, Serbs set up barricades on the road for several weeks. In November, Serbs also stepped down from Kosovo institutions in the north after the police director for the northern region, Nenad Djurovic, who refused to implement the Kosovo Government's decision to reregister with RKS plates. A little later, Kosovo and Serbia, with the insistence of the international community, reached an agreement on license plates, within the framework of dialogue on normalising relations. And for that very reason, Kosovo and Serbia agreed on February 27th with an EU proposal that followed with an annex agreement on implementing the March 18th agreement in Ohrid.

The European proposal, or as previously known as the Franco-German plan, for which Kosovo and Serbia have agreed on February 27th in Brussels, while on March 18th in Ohrid for its implementation, envisions recognition of documents and symbols, respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, so that the parties do not interfere with integration processes, but seek no mutual recognition. The plan also envisions the fulfillment of all previously reached agreements, including the one for the Association of Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo. /dw