Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti today, Tuesday, proposed a plan to defuse tensions in the northern part, which has a Serbian majority, in response to pressures from major Western entities that supported its independence from Serbia. However, the arrest on the same day of a Serbian individual, described by the Kosovo Interior Minister as "the organizer of attacks on NATO peacekeeping forces during last month's Serbian protests," sparked new outrage in the volatile region.
Interior Minister Xhelal Sveçla mentioned that "three members of the Kosovo police were slightly injured during the arrest of Milon Milinkovic." The United States and the European Union urged the Kosovo Prime Minister to dismiss mayors as well as the special police used to secure their positions and to support the 2013 agreement to establish an association of Serbian municipalities with autonomy in the region.
Kurti stated, "The violent Serbian groups have withdrawn from the territory of Kosovo, thus the presence of Kosovo police will be reduced in three municipal buildings." He added at a press conference following his meeting with ambassadors from the United States, Italy, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, known as the Quint Group, "The Government of the Republic of Kosovo will coordinate with all parties and will announce early elections in four municipalities in the north."
He presented his plan to EU and US envoys and called for a follow-up meeting between Serbian and Kosovo officials in Brussels, where the EU is headquartered.
