Article Author:
Reuters
Serbian President Alexander Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Alvin Kurti attended EU-brokered talks in Brussels on Thursday aimed at easing renewed tensions between their estranged western Balkan neighbors. did.
The two failed to reach a resolution, but agreed to move forward in talks over the next few days, Josep Borrell, the European Union's head of foreign policy, said after the meeting.
On 31 July ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo blocked roads and erected barricades. It protested Kosovo's decision to mandate the use of Pristina vehicle license plates.
Both Kosovo and Serbia aspire to join the European Union, and in order to complete that process, both parties must resolve outstanding issues and become good neighbors. You have to build relationships.
Here are some facts about the conflict between Belgrade and Pristina:
Why is there tension? won independence from Serbia in 2008, almost a decade after a guerrilla uprising against It is the second youngest country in the world after South Sudan.
However, Serbia still legally considers Kosovo an integral part of its territory.
Serbs make up 5% of Kosovo's 1.8 million population, 90% of whom are Albanians.
Why has there been a recent resurgence of tensions? said to be required to use
However, the approximately 50,000 Serbs believed to live in northern Kosovo, close to the border with Serbia, are supported by Belgrade and do not recognize Kosovar institutions. . They refuse to pay the electricity bills they use to Kosovo's power companies, and police are frequently attacked during arrests.
Tensions eased after Kosovo's Prime Minister Alvin Kurti, under pressure from the US and his EU, agreed to postpone license plate rules until his September 1.
What does SERBS want?
Kosovar Serbs want to create a federation of Serb-majority municipalities to strengthen their autonomy. Serbia and Kosovo joined EU-sponsored dialogue in 2013 to try to resolve the issue, but made little progress.
What are the roles of NATO and the EU?
NATO maintains approximately 3,700 troops in Kosovo to maintain a fragile peace. It said earlier this month that it would intervene in line with its mandate if stability were threatened. The European Union Mission to the Rule of Law (EULEX) in Kosovo, which arrived in 2008, still has about 200 special police officers in the region. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci, Editing by Gareth Jones)
