Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Russia Calls on EU, NATO, UN to Watch Pristina; Deems It Seeks to Control Serb Regions in Kosovo

The Russian Foreign Ministry called on the European Union (EU), NATO, and the United Nations today (August 9, 2011) to prevent a possible attempt by Pristina to regain control over Serb-populated regions in Kosovo by force, according to the RIA Novosti website.

"Unfortunately, chances are great that despite the August 5 agreements to refrain from military actions, Pristina would fall into temptation of regaining control over Serb-populated areas in Kosovo by force," ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.

"We call on the EU, NATO, and the UN, who have their offices in the region, to show maximum responsibility with the goal of preventing such a scenario," he added. "The concerns of residents in Northern Kosovo municipalities should not be ignored."

Relations between Belgrade and Pristina deteriorated in late July, when Kosovo sent special police forces to its Serbian-populated north to enforce a ban on imports from Serbia, but local Serbs opposed the move. Special units came under attack from local Serbs as they pulled out in the direction of the northern town of Mitrovica.

Serbs in northern Kosovo are the largest non-Albanian community remaining in the country, following the 1998-99 Kosovan war for independence.

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