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Serbian president to meet U.S., Russia, China, EU ambassadors after clashes erupt

30 May 2023 04:23 (UTC +04:00)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will meet on Tuesday with the ambassadors of the United States, Russia, China, Britain and the head of the European Union mission, the president's office said late on Monday, after new clashes erupted in northern Kosovo, APA reports citing Reuters.

Vucic put the army on the highest level of combat alert after around 25 NATO peacekeeping soldiers defending three town halls in northern Kosovo were injured in clashes with Serb protesters.

Vucic at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) will meet with the ambassadors of the United States, Italy, France, Germany and Britain, known as the Quint group, and the head of the EU office in Pristina, a president's office statement said.

Afterwards, he will conduct separate meetings with the ambassadors of Finland, Russia and China.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell late on Monday condemned the clashes, calling the violence against NATO peacekeepers "absolutely unacceptable" and urging immediate dialogue.

"The EU urges Kosovo authorities and the protesters to immediately and unconditionally de-escalate the situation,” Borrell said on Twitter.

The tense situation, the latest in a long history of flare ups, developed after ethnic Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo's Serb majority area after elections the Serbs boycotted - a move that led the U.S. and its allies to rebuke Pristina on Friday.