N.Kosovo calm as border standoff continues

The situation in Leposavic, northern Kosovo, remains tense but peaceful on Tuesday after local Serbs blocked the road on Monday, the Tanjug news agency reported. Kosovo sent special police forces to its Serbian-populated north on Monday to enforce a ban on imports from Serbia, but local Serbs opposed the move. Pristina has yet to respond to a proposal from Serbian government representatives at a meeting with KFOR Commander Erhard Buehler that Kosovo special police units withdraw from the checkpoints where they had been deployed during the night. Serbs are still blocking the road with trucks and heavy road equipment, occasionally allowing private vehicles through. The European Union Rule of Law Mission (Eulex) Kosovo called for a peaceful resolution of the situation. “It is important that the current situation is resolved in a calm and peaceful manner. Eulex is coordinating closely with KFOR to do this and to maintain security,” Eulex spokesperson Nicholas Hawton said. Eulex was not involved in any way in the operation carried out by Kosovo Police special units. Eulex and the EU in Brussels have made it clear that the issue of customs stamps should be solved through the current dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, he said, adding that “unilateral actions by one side or the other are not helpful.” “Disputes should and must be resolved in a peaceful manner,” he said. Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Stefanovic said Serb protests will continue unless Pristina agrees to withdraw the special units. Serbs in northern Kosovo are the biggest non-Albanian community remaining in the country following the 1998-99 Kosovan war of independence.