Escobar: For Euro-integration, Kosovo must grant more autonomy to Serbs in the north

Gabriel Escobar also urged Kosovo to withdraw the police and mayors from their offices in Serb majority areas to de-tradition tensions and then hold new municipal elections in which Serbs would participate, reports “Reuters”.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani in an interview Wednesday told “Reuters” that her country can hold new elections in Serb majority municipalities if 20% of voters sign a petition asking them.

Escobar told reporters at the US Embassy in Belgrade: “if Kosovo wants to move towards Euro-Atlantic integration, it will have to create (a majority association of municipalities (c.red.) Serbian”.

This will happen. The question is, will it happen to this government (of Kosovo) or to another government, to come”.

Serbia, which supports about 50,000 Serbs in northern Kosovo both financially and politically, will have to ensure that the Serbs of this region participate in the new elections, Escobar added.

Four majority Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo see Belgrade as their capital and are challenging the government in Pristina.

Serbs in northern Kosovo left the country's institutions last December. They want greater autonomy, according to the provisions of an EU-sponsored 2013 agreement that envisioned the formation of an Association of Serb-run municipalities.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti is reluctant to implement the agreement because he fears that if given more autonomy, Serbs could hold a referendum to join Serbia instead of remaining as part of Kosovo.

The reinforcements for the NATO peacekeeping force began arriving in Kosovo this week after the recent riots.