German FM arrives in Kosovo

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle arrived in Pristina on Thursday to discuss renewed ethnic tensions in Kosovo. Westerwelle is the first top politician from the European Union to visit Kosovo, governed by an Albanian majority, since a spate of violence in a Serb enclave two weeks ago, the German news agency (dpa) reported. He was due to meet with Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and the commander of the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo (KFOR), German General erhard Buehler. Buehler last week brokered a deal between Pristina and Belgrade to reduce tensions, but Serbs in their northern enclave have refused to comply. The deal was a compromise aimed at allowing traffic through two border crossings to Serbia in the enclave, while enhancing controls to curb smuggling and trafficking. The row over the borders began in the wake of a trade war between Kosovo and Serbia, which refuses to recognize the sovereignty of its former province and open trade routes to its goods. The dispute last month disrupted talks the two sides led under EU facilitation since March. Following the agreement pushed through by NATO, Belgrade officials said the talks will resume on September 5. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, at a nod from the United States and other big Western powers, including Germany. Yet not all EU nations recognized it-out of the 27, five refuse to take the step. Kosovo is the final stop on Westerwelle''s current tour of the Balkans after visits to Montenegro and Croatia earlier in the week.