Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he is surprised by the Quint statement following mayoral elections in the four northern Kosovo municipalities, Tanjug news agency reports today. He added the only conclusion from that statement would be that some were displeased the elections were completed in peace and order.

“I want to congratulate them for their inventiveness. In my life I have not read anything more stupid,” Vucic told journalists in Novi Sad, commenting on the statement.

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Marko Djuric thinks the "Quint's" statement was as "a strange way to congratulate on a clean and convincing victory." The "Quint" countries are the US, Germany, Italy, the UK, and France, and their statement concerned Sunday's local elections in four Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo, won by the Serb List.

President Aleksandar Vucic met with ambassadors of Quint countries, USA, Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany as well as Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia.

During the meeting described as open and constructive Vucic told the ambassadors that Serbia, without any fault, was placed in a difficult position and he understands neither the tariffs Pristina imposed on goods from central Serbia nor passing the new resolutions against Serbia and Serbian people.

Serbian media based in Kosovo reports that the Serbian List caucus held a meeting with representatives of the Quint. Although the ambassadors were not present at the meeting, the Serbian List MPs asked a pressure to be exerted on central institutions in order that Serbs and other non-majority people are protected in the areas in which the past few days, ethnically motivated attacks were recorded.

Diplomatic sources of Danas and international relations experts do not exclude completely the possibility of Serbia changing the foreign policy course, but they assess that Belgrade will endeavour in maintaining the current position of balancing between the West and Russia.

According to interlocutors of Danas, any changes in foreign policy will depend largely on the next phase of resolving the Kosovo issue.

At the outset of local election campaign, the embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States called on all political parties and their candidates to commit to free, respectful, and peaceful campaigning.

Leading western powers voiced concern yesterday(13 August)at political deadlock in Kosovo,which has still not formed a government two months after snap elections in the tiny country,a former Serbian province.

Britain,France,Germany,Italy and United States said it was“the responsibility of Kosovo’s leaders”to form a parliament and government

https://www.euractiv.com/section/enlargement/news/western-powers-concerned-at-kosovo-political-deadlock/llowing the June ballots.

The NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Operations, H.E. John MANZA visited KFOR Headquarters today.

The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Kosovo, Ruairi O’Connell, said during his speech at the opening of the Anti-corruption Week in Kosovo that corruption and nepotism in Kosovo should be fought. He said that no one should be employed based on family connections.

Most media report that Kosovo Assembly President, Kadri Veseli, hosted today a meeting with ambassadors of the Quint countries and discussed the recent political developments in Kosovo. Veseli thanked the ambassadors for the continuous support that their countries are giving to the people and institutions of the Republic of Kosovo. “During the meeting with the Quint ambassadors, I reiterated our institutional commitment to Euro-Atlantic integrations.