Serbia ready to continue dialogue with Kosovo through EU: President

BELGRADE, Serbia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Thursday that his country is ready to continue dialogue with Kosovo through the mediation of the European Union.

''Belgrade has implemented all its obligations stemming from the Brussels Agreement. The fragile peace that exists in the areas of Kosovo and Metohija is being preserved thanks to the determination of the Serbian people, who are making superhuman efforts to resist all the pressures of the regime in Pristina,'' Vucic said after a meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen in the Serbian capital.

Vucic emphasized the importance of a continued international presence in Kosovo and called on representatives to take all necessary measures.

''The events of Sept. 24 are the clearest indication of Pristina's intention to make any agreement with Belgrade and the normal life of Serbs in the north of Kosovo and Kosovo impossible,” he said.

Residents in the region woke up on Sunday to news that a clash between an armed group and police had broken out in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo near the Serbian border.

A group of armed Serbs blocked a bridge leading to Banjska with two trucks that did not have license plates.

A shootout erupted after the group opened fire on police, who went to the scene to investigate.

Two officers were shot in the clash, during which the armed group also threw hand grenades, and the injured officers were taken to the hospital.

A large number of security forces were then dispatched to the region, and the Brnjak border crossing between Kosovo and Serbia was closed.

Launched in 2011, the EU-led Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue aims to normalize relations between the two Balkan neighbors and find a mutually agreeable solution to disputes within the framework of a legally binding agreement.

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

Serbia, however, still considers Kosovo its territory.