Kosovo Opens Serbian Border Crossings as Tensions Subside

(Bloomberg) -- Kosovo’s interior minister said the nation re-opened two border crossings with Serbia after Serbian groups removed their own blockades, in an apparent de-escalation of tensions in the region.

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Serbian organizations on Friday blocked three border points in protest of recent political actions in the north of Kosovo, which is Serb-majority. In response, Kosovo shut its own crossings.

“After receiving information that the blockades created by masked extremists in Serbia have been removed and seeing no obstacles to traffic to and from Kosovo, we made the decision to reopen the Merdare and Bernjak border points,” Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla posted on Facebook.

The flare-up was the latest example of conflict between Kosovo and Serbia, which has drawn criticism from the international community. The vast majority of Kosovo Serbs, and their main political party, the Serb List, support the Belgrade regime.

Last week, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s government shut down several Serbian-financed institutions in Serb-majority municipalities, citing violations of Kosovo’s laws and constitution. Serbian groups have separately demanded Kosovo withdraw its police from its Serb-majority areas in the north and reinstate the Serbian dinar, which was banned earlier this year.

The Serbian blockade of several roads was “our response to Prime Minister Kurti’s decisions,” said Rasa Rojevic, head of the Citizens’ Organization of Mitrovica. The group prohibited vehicles with Kosovo-only documents from passing, he said.

Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have worsened since September last year, when about 30 armed Serb militants engaged in a day-long shootout with Kosovar police, resulting in four deaths, including an ethnic Albanian policeman.

US and European Union allies have condemned Kurti’s actions, and have called on the parties to return to the EU-mediated dialogue to find solutions.

--With assistance from Jasmina Kuzmanovic.

(Updates with reported opening of border crossings.)

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