Peaceful situation in the north with added security measures from KFOR

In Zvecan and Leposaviq a greater number of Serbs have emerged on the third day of tensions in the country's north, after police assisted young Albanian mayors Friday to join the municipality. Serbs have also gathered in Zubin Potok.

T7 journalist Liberation Morina reported early in the morning that more Serbs had gathered before the municipality today, while KFOR had added security measures around the municipal object, placing two thorn lines one over one.

The same in Zvecan, where T7 journalist Blerta Zuka reported on a greater number of Serb protesters than in Leposaviq.

Even there, KFOR has taken the same measures, as on Monday about 30 members of NATO's peacekeeping mission were injured in a clash with violent protesters whom we hit with what the soldiers had, throwing explosives as shock-bombs and Molotov.

Serbian protesters in Zvecan unveiled a Serbian flag about 250m long.

Ahead of protesters in Leposaviq and Zvecan are standing the thorn wire, and then KFOR members with their equipment.

A number of Serbs also gathered at the aphiers in Zubin Potok's municipality from 7:00 p.m. Members of the Kosovo Police have also been seen, except for KFOR soldiers.

The situation is at present peaceful in all three cities.

Representatives of the Serbian List have said they will continue the protests until their demands, which are the withdrawal of Kosovo Albanian mayors and police from northern municipalities, are met.

Similar demands have been made to Prime Minister Albin Kurti and the United States and the Eurpian Union. The Kosovo government's chief's insistence that the mayors should go to municipalities resulted in the expulsion of the KSF from the US Army-led international military exercise “Defeder Europe cu23”.

US Ambassador Jeffrey Havenier said on Tuesday that this is the first “consequence for Kosovo Government, which, as he said, did not listen to Washington's demands for the extension of the situation in the north.

The last retirement call has come after midnight by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who considers that the Kosovo Government's decision “to install by force the new mayors in the majority Serbian municipalities in the north escalated tensions sharply and unnecessary”.

[Kosovo Prime Minister Albin] Kurt and his government must ensure that elected mayors perform their transitional duties from alternative locations, outside municipal buildings, and withdraw police forces from there. [Serbia's President Aleksandar] Vuciq and the Government of Serbia must lower the security status of the Serbian Armed Forces and appeal to Kosovo Serbs to stop challenging KFOR and refrain from further violence”, Blinken said in a statement published on the US State Department website.

On Friday, Blinken had warned that the actions of the government “would result in consequences in our bilateral relations with Kosovo”.