The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken has stated that the decision of the Kosova government to force the mayors in the municipalities in the north to enter the municipal buildings, has led to the escalation of tensions.

Further, Blinken called on all parties to take immediate measures to reduce tensions.

“Prime Minister Kurti and his government should ensure that elected mayors perform their interim duties from alternative locations outside municipal buildings and withdraw police forces from the vicinity. President Vucic and the Government of Serbia should downgrade the security status of the Serbian Armed Forces and call on the Kosova Serbs to stop challenging KFOR and refrain from further violence,” Blinken said in a Department of the State statement.

The US Secretary of State has condemned attacks on NATO-led KFOR troops, law enforcement and journalists, as he urged Serbia and Kosova to take action to reduce tensions and recommit to talks towards normalizing relations under the leadership of the European Union.

“The United States strongly condemns attacks against the NATO-led Kosova Force (KFOR) peacekeepers and urges both sides to take immediate action to de-escalate tensions and recommit to EU-led normalization talks,” Blinken underscored.

For several days, the situation in the north of Kosova has been quite tense since the election of 3 mayors of the municipalities of Zveçan, Zubin Potok and Leposaviç. The Serbs in the north strongly oppose the entry of the elected mayors into the municipal facilities, which has led to an increase of NATO presence peacekeeping mission in Kosova, KFOR.

30 KFOR soldiers were injured by the protesters, 11 of whom were Italian and 19 Hungarian.

/a.p./