Russia calls on EU, NATO over military actions in Kosovo north
August 10th, 2011 - 7:11 am ICT by IANSMoscow, Aug 10 (IANS) Russia has called on the European Union, NATO and the UN to prevent a possible attempt by Pristina to regain control over Serb-populated regions in Kosovo by force.
Pristina is the capital city of Kosvo.
“Unfortunately, chances are great that despite the Aug 5 agreements to refrain from military actions, Pristina would fall into temptation of regaining control over Serb-populated areas in Kosovo by force,” Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Tuesday.
“We call on the EU, NATO and the UN, who have their offices in the region, to show maximum responsibility with the goal of preventing such a scenario,” he added. “The concerns of residents in Northern Kosovo municipalities should not be ignored.”
Relations between Belgrade and Pristina deteriorated in late July, when Kosovo sent special police forces to its Serbian-populated north to enforce a ban on imports from Serbia, but local Serbs opposed the move. Special units came under attack from local Serbs, as they pulled out in the direction of the northern town of Mitrovica.
Serbs in northern Kosovo are the biggest non-Albanian community remaining in the country following the 1998-99 Kosovan war for independence.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
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Tags: albanian community, belgrade, european union, foreign ministry spokesman, kosovo, kosvo, military actions, moscow, municipalities, nato, northern kosovo, police forces, pristina, regaining control, ria novosti, russian foreign ministry, serbian, serbs, special police, temptation