Current:Home > InvestKFOR commander calls on Kosovo and Serbia to return to talks to prevent future violence-LoTradeCoin
KFOR commander calls on Kosovo and Serbia to return to talks to prevent future violence
View Date:2024-12-23 22:23:32
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — The NATO-led peacekeeping force on Friday called on both Kosovo and Serbia to return to the negotiating table to resolve their issues to prevent violence like the recent shootout between masked Serb gunmen and Kosovo police that left four people dead and sent tensions soaring in the region.
Kosovo Force commander Maj. Gen. Angelo Michele Ristuccia called on both countries to “refrain from inflammatory and counterproductive rhetoric and help to create the necessary conditions for lasting security in Kosovo and across the region.”
Ristuccia told a news conference that KFOR fully supported European Union-facilitated dialogue to normalize their ties.
In February, the EU put forward a 10-point plan to end months of political crises. Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić gave their approval at the time, but with some reservations that haven’t been resolved.
“If the parties do not come back to the table ... and do not find a common solution and do not negotiate for a political solution, I think this balance will become more fragile and volatile in the future,” Ristuccia said.
On Sept. 24, around 30 Serb gunmen killed a Kosovar police officer and then set up barricades in northern Kosovo before launching an hours-long gunbattle with Kosovo police. Three gunmen were killed.
NATO beefed up its peacekeeping presence in Kosovo by about 200 British troops after the crisis. More are expected to be deployed from Romania and other allies if the situation requires, Ristuccia said. KFOR is made up of around 4,500 troops from 27 nations.
The EU-facilitated dialogue, which began in 2011, has yielded few results.
Serbia and Kosovo have been at odds for decades. Their 1998-1999 war, which ended after a 78-day NATO bombing campaign forced Serbian forces to withdraw from Kosovo, left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovo Albanians.
Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, declared independence in 2008 — a move that Belgrade refuses to recognize.
___
Llazar Semini reported from Tirana, Albania. Follow him at https://twitter.com/lsemini and Florent Bajrami at https://twitter.com/florent_bajrami
veryGood! (336)
Related
- Get $103 Worth of Tatcha Skincare for $43.98 + 70% Off Flash Deals on Elemis, Josie Maran & More
- 160 funny Christmas jokes 'yule' love this holiday season
- Denny Laine, singer-guitarist of The Moody Blues and Wings, dies at 79 after 'health setbacks'
- College Board revises AP Black history class set to launch in 2024
- How Saturday Night Live Reacted to Donald Trump’s Win Over Kamala Harris
- Cargo ship breaks down in Egypt’s Suez Canal and crashes into a bridge. Traffic is not disrupted
- Cleveland Guardians win 2024 MLB draft lottery despite 2% chance: See the full draft order.
- Iran arrests a popular singer after he was handed over by police in Turkey
- Supreme Court seems likely to allow class action to proceed against tech company Nvidia
- Families of 3 killed in Jacksonville Dollar General shooting sue store, gunman's family
Ranking
- Britney Spears reunites with son Jayden, 18, after kids moved in with dad Kevin Federline
- 'Periodical' filmmaker wants to talk about PMS, menopause and the tampon tax
- NCAA president proposes Division I schools compensate student-athletes
- Biden says he's not sure he'd be running for reelection if Trump weren't
- Caitlin Clark has one goal for her LPGA pro-am debut: Don't hit anyone with a golf ball
- Republican prosecutor will appeal judge’s ruling invalidating Wisconsin’s 174-year-old abortion ban
- Siberian tiger attacks dog, then kills pet's owner who followed its tracks, Russian officials say
- 'Periodical' filmmaker wants to talk about PMS, menopause and the tampon tax
Recommendation
-
The NBA Cup is here. We ranked the best group stage games each night
-
Juanita Castro, anti-communist sister of Cuban leaders Fidel and Raul, dies in Miami at 90
-
Texas woman asks court for abortion because of pregnancy complications
-
Psychologists say they can't meet the growing demand for mental health care
-
Louisiana mom arrested for making false kidnapping report after 'disagreement' with son
-
British government plans to ignore part of UK’s human rights law to revive its Rwanda asylum plan
-
The Best Gifts For The People Who Say, Don't Buy Me Anything
-
NCAA president proposes Division I schools compensate student-athletes