OSCE Chairman-in-Office Italian FM Angelino Alfano and OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger have called on Belgrade and Pristina to return to dialogue.
“In light of the March 26 events in northern Kosovo and subsequent developments, the OSCE chairmanship-in-office and the OSCE secretary general call on all sides to refrain from provocations and reengage in constructive dialogue,” Alfano and Greminger are quoted as stating in a press release.
“We deplore the events of March 26. They represent a serious escalation of the situation in Kosovo and threaten to undermine the remarkable achievements of the normalization process, thus causing significant tension and instability. All efforts must be made to avoid provocations,” they said.
The press release also noted that “Kosovo police special units intervened on Monday at a meeting and arrested Serbian government official Marko Djuric, citing the lack of permission to visit” and that “during the intervention, 32 people were injured.”
“We call on all parties to do their utmost to defuse tensions and resume the normalization dialogue. The OSCE remains committed to supporting the dialogue and contributing to the implementation of agreements, including the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo,” said Alfano and Greminger.
OSCE statement is available here: https://www.osce.org/chairmanship/376483
