Serbian president calls for dialogue to resolve issues peacefully with Kosovo

BELGRADE

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic called for dialogue Sunday to resolve issues with Kosovo following a meeting with the General Staff of the Armed Forces as tensions continued to simmer over alleged conflicts at the Serbian border.

"It is extremely important for us that the dialogue continues and that we begin to resolve things peacefully," said Vucic.

Vucic said they begged international representatives to do everything possible to stop the tensions at the Kosovo border.

"I believe we will have good news. I hope that this will be de-escalated tomorrow and that we will reach peace with new compromise solutions, he said.

He said Serbia will probably face its biggest political fight in the coming days.

"I want to thank those who supported Serbia…I especially want to thank the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, who reacted in a very correct way," said Vucic.

He added that efforts are being made to calm tensions.

"No matter how difficult it is, there will be no surrender and Serbia will win," said Vucic.

Meanwhile, the government of Kosovo has reportedly decided to postpone its decisions on Serbian ID cards and license plates for a month after the increased tensions.

Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo rose Sunday ahead of a new Kosovar law set to come into effect Monday, making it mandatory for everyone, including Serbs living in Kosovo, to have a Kosovo ID card and license plate.

According to local media, air raid sirens were heard along the Kosovo/Serbian border as Kosovo was set to restrict border crossings.
Gunfire had been reported in some unspecified locations in northern Kosovo, but Kosovar police issued a statement saying there is no official information that anyone was injured.

"We appeal to all citizens and the media not to fall for fake news, which tends to destabilize the situation and creates panic," it added.

Serbia's Defense Ministry issued a statement alleging that the Kosovar government is spreading a huge amount of disinformation, including through fake accounts on social media.

It added that the Serbian Army had not "in any way entered the territory of Kosovo."

Kosovo, which Albanians predominantly inhabit, broke away from Serbia in 1999 and declared its independence in 2008. It is recognized by more than 100 countries, including the US, UK, France, Germany and Türkiye. Serbia has not recognized this and continues to lay claim to the territory.