The European Union warned Monday of "escalation and violence" after Kosovo and Serbia failed to reach an agreement during emergency talks aimed at resolving their ongoing dispute over identity cards and car license plates.
Today, Monday, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, held an emergency meeting with Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his Serbian counterpart, Alexander Vucic, in Brussels, after which he announced the failure to reach an agreement to ease tension between the two sides.
Today's meeting failed, Borrell said, arguing that escalation of tensions and potential violence is the responsibility of both sides.
He made it clear that he would inform the European Union countries about the non-constructive positions of the two parties, and in particular Kosovo's non-compliance with international laws.
fierce resistance
And Kosovo tried - this year - to ask members of the Serb minority in the country to change the license plates of their old cars, which date back to before 1999 when Kosovo was part of Serbia, however, the Serbs, who live in the northern part of the country, met this step with strong resistance. Sometimes violent.
Tensions escalated at the end of last July between the two neighboring countries, following the entry into force of a law announced by the Kosovo government, before retracting and postponing its entry into force for a month in order to calm the situation.
This law requires everyone - including Serbs living in Kosovo - to obtain an identity card issued by the country and to change the license plates of cars coming from neighboring Serbia with Kosovo plates.
Kosovo - whose majority population is Albanian - seceded from Serbia in 1999, and declared its independence from it in 2008, but Belgrade still considers it part of its territory, and supports a Serb minority in Kosovo.