Kosovo, Serbia fail to agree on lowering tensions in north Kosovo, says EU policy chief

Leaders of Kosovo and Serbia failed to agree on how to lower tensions in Serb-majority areas in north Kosovo, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday, warning that any further escalation could undermine the EU-backed deal on normalising ties.

In March, Pristina and Belgrade verbally agreed to implement a Western-backed plan aimed at improving ties but little progress has been seen since.Some 50,000 Serbs who live in north Kosovo still refuse to take part in Kosovo institutions including police, judiciary and municipal governments they had left last November. They boycotted local election organized by Kosovo authorities last month.Borrell said that in a meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, he had expressed “grave concern about the situation in the north Kosovo” following elections “with a very low turnout.”He urged parties to compromise and warned that any further escalation could “undermine” the implementation of the EU-backed deal on normalising ties.Vucic and Kurti failed to agree on framework for securing greater autonomy for Serb-majority municipalities, which is a condition set by Serbs to participate in Kosovo institutions.