
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti will meet on Monday in Brussels to try to defuse tensions and reach an agreement after the crisis over the claims of the Kosovar Serb minority.
«A high-level meeting of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue will be held in Brussels on Monday, November 21,» the office of the EU’s High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has informed in a statement.
Borrell himself will be present as a mediator, supported by EU special representative Miroslav Lajcák. Vucic and Kurti have confirmed their participation, according to Brussels.
Lajcák will hold separate meetings with each of the leaders starting at 8 a.m. followed by a joint meeting.
«The aim is to find a way to overcome the current crisis and avoid further escalation and tensions with special attention to license plates and the return of Kosovo Serbs to the institutions,» the EU statement explained. After the meeting a press appearance by Borrell is scheduled.
This November 21 is the deadline given by the Kosovar authorities to start fining those who fail to comply with the controversial rule to impose Kosovar license plates on Serbian communities. «We cannot reach this date without an agreement or we will be on the brink of a dangerous situation,» the High Representative warned just a few days ago.
European diplomacy asks Pristina to show flexibility and inclusiveness with the rule and commit to the creation of a community of Kosovo Serb municipalities, agreed at the Brussels Dialogue, while Belgrade demands the return of Kosovo Serbs to the institutions after their block resignation from positions as deputies, mayors and officials in all areas, including the Police.