Gerommel op de grens met Servië en Kosovo #2

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UK, France, Italy, Germany and U.S. condemn Kosovo violence
May 26, 2023

Britain, France, Italy, Germany and the United States condemned Kosovo's decision to force access to municipal buildings in northern Kosovo on Friday, calling on the authorities to step back and de-escalate the situation.

"We condemn Kosovo's decision to force access to municipal buildings in northern Kosovo despite our call for restraint. We call on Kosovo’s authorities to immediately step back and de-escalate, and to closely coordinate with EULEX (the EU mission) and KFOR (NATO's mission in Kosovo," the countries said in a joint statement posted on the British government's website.

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Macron, Scholz call for fresh elections in Kosovo
June 1, 2023

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for fresh elections in several disputed Kosovo districts on Thursday amid tensions with the area’s Serbian population.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo’s Vjosa Osmani met with Scholz and Macron on the sidelines of a summit of the European Political Community in Moldova.

Kosovo has been rocked by renewed violence after the Kosovar authorities sought to install ethnic Albanian mayors in offices in northern districts. These mayors had been elected with a turnout of less than 4 percent of the vote, after Serbs boycotted the polls.

“There have been in northern Kosovo tensions that were due to the regrettable holding of polls even though the conditions were not fulfilled to guarantee proper process … this led to an escalation of violence,” Macron told reporters.

According to the French president, Osmani and Vučić agreed to consider a plan presented by France and Germany to appease tensions in Kosovo. The plan involves a commitment by Kosovo to hold fresh elections in the contested areas, and a commitment by Serbia to encourage participation in the elections.

The two leaders are expected to hold consultations and respond to the proposal next week, Macron added.

Scholz meanwhile called on both sides to show responsibility. “It’s a very serious situation indeed … We had an intense debate … on the challenges on the ground. It requires courage. All stakeholders need to show courage. Everyone needs to give a contribution, as responsible political leaders,” he said at a press conference.

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Turmoil in Kosovo Hurts Relations with US
June 02, 2023

Actions by the Kosovo government that reignited tensions with Serbia this week have opened a crack in relations between Kosovo and one of its most important partners — the United States.

Former U.S. diplomats said Washington hasn’t been this displeased with the Kosovo government in a long time and pointed to a statement by the top U.S. diplomat.

“The United States strongly condemns the actions by the government of Kosovo to access municipal buildings in the north of Kosovo by force, actions it took against the advice of the United States and Kosovo’s European partners,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

A veteran U.S. diplomat who participated in the process leading to Kosovo's independence says Kosovo cannot take American support for granted.

“This is certainly the biggest break in a long period of U.S.-Kosovo cooperation. This is the strongest fresh expression of American opposition to an act by the Kosovo government that I can remember,” Daniel Fried told VOA’s Serbian Service.

The current tensions rose from questions over the legitimacy of elections in four municipalities in northern Kosovo in April.

Violence broke out Monday after Kosovo authorities installed the ethnic Albanian mayors in offices in the country’s north, where the population is mostly Serbian. The mayors had been elected on a turnout of 3.5% after Serbs, who still want to be reunited with Belgrade, boycotted the vote.

Last Friday, police used tear gas in the town of Zvecan to disband a crowd of Serbs who were attempting to bar a newly elected Albanian mayor from entering his office.

The United States and several European governments have appealed several times for all parties in Kosovo to reduce tensions. And the presidents of Kosovo and Serbia held talks Thursday on resolving the crisis.

The United States also issued a joint statement with France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom, condemning the actions of Kosovo’s authorities.

Kosovo gained independence from Serbia in 2008, which Belgrade still does not recognize. Kosovo is largely made up of Albanians, who are Muslim, whereas Serbia is mostly Christian Orthodox.

“I suspect the United States urged the Kosovo government not to take certain steps and our request was ignored and the steps were taken, and the result was exactly what we feared,” Fried said.

Washington has communicated its displeasure with Kosovo by canceling the nation’s participation in the Defender Europe joint military exercise, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker said.

“Kosovo depends upon a very close relationship with the United States. So it is rash and imprudent for them to go ahead and take these actions without consulting with the United States. And I think that is reflected in the statement by Secretary Blinken,” Volker told VOA Albanian.

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Op vrijdag 29 september 2023 20:26 schreef Perrin het volgende:
* Perrin geeft een kickje.

Weer wat oplopende spanningen..
[ twitter ]

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Op vrijdag 29 september 2023 22:07 schreef trein2000 het volgende:

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[ twitter ]
Blijkbaar moeten we ze weer even leren hoe een F16 werkt? Als je er onder staat, wel te verstaan.

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Op maandag 9 oktober 2023 09:08 schreef Perrin het volgende:
Behoorlijk arsenaaltje.
[ twitter ]

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‘A climate of violence’: Serbian football ultras in spotlight after Kosovo monastery siege

Before half-time, Delije unrolled a banner that read: “When the army returns to Kosovo”.

Few places in the Balkans reveal the volatile ethnic politics of the region as much as football stadiums, where supporters regularly chant slurs that recall those employed during the ethnic-cleansing drives of the 1990s.

“We need to finish them off, stop dragging our feet,” said a talkative, skinny Red Star fan during half-time, declining to give his name.

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Spanningen tussen Servië en Kosovo lopen al maanden op, vrees voor escalatie
https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/(...)vrees-voor-escalatie

De spanningen tussen buurlanden Servië en Kosovo lopen steeds verder op. Al decennia liggen de staten met elkaar overhoop, maar door recente geweldsuitbarstingen groeit de angst voor een groot gewapend conflict. Ondertussen maakt de Servische bevolking zich op voor nieuwe parlementsverkiezingen. De situatie in Kosovo staat hoog op de agenda.

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Op vrijdag 15 december 2023 11:11 schreef Gajes_Octavianus het volgende:
2022: Rusland-Oekraïne
2023: Rusland-Oekraïne
Israël-Hamas
2024: Rusland-Oekraïne
Israël-Hamas
Venezuela-Guyana?
Servië-Kosov?

Het wordt er niet gezelliger op in de wereld

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Op vrijdag 15 december 2023 11:13 schreef Aether het volgende:

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Taiwan?