Eurasia Press & News
Dialogue between officials in Pristina and Belgrade is key to the stability of the Balkan region, International Civilian Office chief Pieter Feith on Tuesday.
Serbia has vowed to never recognize Kosovo’s seccession and relations between Kosovo Serbs and Kosovo Albanians are tense and occasionaly hostile. Serbia has blocked imports coming in from Kosovo and Serb officials have not been shy about flaunting Belgrade’s reach in Serb-populated parts of north Kosovo, often coming into north Kosovo on ‘official visits’. Kosovo officials have in turn threatened to arrest Serb officials entering unannounced for trying to breach Kosovo’s territorial integrity.
“Good neighbourly relations and Pristina-Belgrade contact on practical issues are useful for regional stability”, Feith told Serbian daily “Dnevnik”.
He said the EU was committed to regional stability and was prepared to mediate between Pristina and Belgrade.
“The EU has to play a useful role in easing such a process in a constructive manner”, Feith added.
In the most recent attempt at dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo , United Nations officials invited both parties to a meeting on cultural heritage but both Belgrade and Pristina ignored the invitations.
