German diplomat Baerbock will be heading to Albania for talks with Serbian and Kosovar counterparts, according to a statement made by a spokesperson from the Foreign Ministry.
Germany on Wednesday expressed appreciation for Serbia’s decision to withdraw troops from the border with Kosovo, considering it a significant and positive measure. However, Germany kindly urged Belgrade to further engage in actions aimed at reducing tensions with its neighbouring country.
When speaking to the media in Berlin, Kathrin Deschauer, the spokeswoman for the German Foreign Ministry, expressed her concern for the situation in the region, stating that it is rather alarming following the recent outbreak of lethal violence in northern Kosovo.
“Serbia has an obligation to clearly demand the renunciation of violence. Overall, the situation is of course tense. The first signs of a reduction in Serbian forces are an important step towards détente. “I would like to reiterate that we must now take further steps to de-escalate tensions,” she said.
It has been reported that Serbia has recently initiated a reduction of its military presence along the border with Kosovo.
As per Deschauer’s statement, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock intends to travel to Albania this Thursday to engage in discussions with the foreign ministers of the Western Balkan nations.
Baerbock will also engage in discussions with her Kosovar and Serbian counterparts during the meeting, as part of the Berlin Process, an initiative that aims to foster closer ties between the Western Balkan states and the EU.
A representative from the Ministry of Defense, Michael Stempfle, emphasized that at present, there are no intentions to augment the number of German soldiers within the Kosovo Force (KFOR), a multinational peacekeeping force in Kosovo led by NATO.
Currently, there are 71 German soldiers present in the Balkan country.
Tensions have heightened following the unfortunate incident on September 24th, where a Kosovar police officer and three local Serbian gunmen lost their lives during a clash in the northern Kosovo village of Banjska.
A significant deployment of security forces was made to the region, leading to the closure of the Brnjak border crossing between Kosovo and Serbia.
The area has experienced periods of unrest since April due to the decision of local ethnic Serbs to boycott elections in northern Kosovo, followed by protests against the election of ethnic Albanian mayors.
The Albanian population in Kosovo is significantly larger than any other ethnic group, with Serbs being the second largest. Approximately half of the Serb population resides in the northern region.
In light of the ongoing disturbances surrounding the elections, NATO peacekeepers were dispatched, which included a team of supplementary Turkish reinforcements.
In 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia and received recognition from numerous countries, including Türkiye. However, Serbia has yet to acknowledge Kosovo’s independence and maintains that it remains an integral part of Serbia.
