Tensions over Kosovo issue highest in decade: Serbian president

BELGRADE, Serbia

Serbia's president said Sunday that the situation in Kosovo has reached its most difficult phase in the last 10 years as he prepared to visit Belgium for talks.

Aleksandar Vucic's remarks came ahead of his meeting in Brussels with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti at the invitation of the European Union to discuss finding a solution to the car license plate crisis

The emergency high-level meeting of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue on normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia will take place early in the morning.

"We are experiencing the highest tensions in the last 10 years on the Kosovo issue. I am not optimistic that we can reach an agreement tomorrow. I just don’t want them to say that Serbia did not contribute to the dialogue,” said Vucic.

According to Vucic, peace depends on pressure from Western countries.

''They need to put pressure on Pristina. Postponing the final decision means nothing to us. It's the same as if a student postpones his exams and heads down to the sea. When he returns, the same problems will be waiting for him,'' he said.

German-French proposal

Vucic said he is ready to discuss a German-French proposal to speed up Serbia’s EU membership process in exchange for its recognition of Kosovo.

"I am neither saying that we refused nor that we accepted (the proposal) because we are ready for talks," he said.

He added that Belgrade wants to give a chance to the changes in the offered solution.

Vucic in early October said Germany and France had offered to expedite Serbia’s EU membership process if the country recognizes Kosovo’s independence.

The meeting will be facilitated by EU high representative Josep Borrell, supported by EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak.

EU spokesman Petar Stano said earlier that the crisis between the two sides is at its most difficult stage since 2013.

Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo have risen since ethnic Serbs in Kosovo withdrew from all central and local institutions in protest over Pristina’s decision to replace old car license plates issued by Serbian authorities with those from Kosovo.

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