Serbian president calls Kosovo Serbs to meeting in Belgrade

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic called a meeting Thursday with political leaders of Kosovo Serbs after he met Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti at the headquarters of the EU diplomatic service.

The meeting is scheduled for Sunday in the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade with political and institutional representatives of Serbs, Serbian mayors, heads of districts and hospital directors, according to media reports.

The move came after talks, officially called the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, were convened by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell following border tensions earlier this month.

“Recent tensions in the north of Kosovo have demonstrated yet again that it is time to move forward towards full normalization,” Borrell wrote on Twitter, announcing the start of the meeting.

He said he expects “both leaders to be open and flexible to find a common ground.”

Late Wednesday, the EU’s special representative for the talks, Miroslav Lajcak, met Vucic and Kurti.

Earlier in the day, Vucic and Kurti held separate talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

He urged both leaders to show restraint and “avoid unhelpful rhetoric” to prevent the escalation of tensions.

Stoltenberg also demanded that they engage in constructive talks at the EU-facilitated dialogue, underlining that it is the right way to find a solution for both communities.

Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo increased earlier this month because of Kosovo’s planned implementation of a new law making it mandatory for everyone, including Serbs living in Kosovo, to have a Kosovo ID card and license plate.

Kosovo, however, has delayed the new measures until Sept. 1.

Launched in 2011, the EU-led Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue aims to normalize relations between the Western Balkan neighbors.

The last high-level meeting with the participation of Kurti and Vucic took place June 15, 2021.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, with most UN member-states, including the US, UK, France, Germany, and Türkiye, recognizing it as a separate autonomous country from its neighbor.

Serbia continues to see Kosovo as its territory.