Serbia and Kosovo leaders spar amid tensions

Kosovo leader Vjosa Osmani speaks in Moldova on June 1.

Attending a summit in Moldova with more than 40 European leaders on June 1, President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia and leader Vjosa Osmani of Kosovo both ignored each other even when they were only standing a few meters apart on the red carpet, according to Reuters.

Both sides are under international pressure to resolve the latest crisis between the government of Kosovo, which is predominantly ethnic Albanian, and the Serb community, which is mainly located in the north of the region.

Violence erupted earlier this week after Kosovo authorities, backed by special police units, appointed ethnic Albanian mayors in northern municipalities. The mayors were elected in elections with a turnout of just 3.5%, after Serbs boycotted the vote.

Why are ethnic tensions erupting in Kosovo?

Ms Osmani said Belgrade was trying to destabilise Kosovo. She accused Mr Vucic of supporting criminal gangs in northern Kosovo, who she said were ultimately responsible for clashes that injured 30 NATO peacekeepers and 52 Serb protesters.

"President Vucic needs to stop supporting criminal gangs in Kosovo. That's what he needs to do if he really wants peace. He hasn't shown that yet," she said.

Serbia has denied the accusation. Attending the conference in Moldova, Mr Vucic was less forceful in his speech than Ms Osmani. But he said Kosovo’s government should dismiss “mayors” in northern municipalities and declared that Kosovo’s special police units were present there illegally.

"Serbia will do its best to defuse tensions. That means we will try to convince the Serbs to act calmly and peacefully," he said.

President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia in Moldova on June 1.

Serbs in northern Kosovo have long demanded implementation of a 2013 European Union (EU)-brokered deal to create an association of municipalities in their region.

Ms Osmani and Mr Vucic are scheduled to have separate meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of a summit of the European Political Community, a body of more than 40 countries created last year.

But there is no indication that Mr Vucic and Ms Osmani will meet. Mr Vucic said he did not even know who would represent Kosovo at the conference.

NATO has decided to deploy 700 more peacekeepers to Kosovo to deal with the crisis and the alliance's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said on June 1 that they were ready to mobilize more forces.

NATO soldiers injured in violent clashes in Kosovo

"NATO will remain vigilant. We will be there to ensure a safe and secure environment, and also to defuse and reduce tensions," he told reporters on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Oslo, Norway.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the same day called on Kosovo and Serbia to immediately take steps to reduce tensions, warning that the current situation hinders the Euro-Atlantic integration process of both sides.

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