Kosovo Serbs to Remove Barricades that Triggered Tensions

A burnt-out truck, part of a barricade stands on the bridge near the northern, Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)
A burnt-out truck, part of a barricade stands on the bridge near the northern, Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)
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Kosovo Serbs to Remove Barricades that Triggered Tensions

A burnt-out truck, part of a barricade stands on the bridge near the northern, Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)
A burnt-out truck, part of a barricade stands on the bridge near the northern, Serb-dominated part of ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic said late Wednesday that Serbs will start removing their barricades in Kosovo on Thursday in a move that could deescalate tensions that triggered fears of new clashes in the Balkans.

The agreement was reached at a late-night crisis meeting with the leaders of Kosovo Serbs, Vucic said.

It followed the release of a former Kosovo Serb police officer, whose detention triggered a major crisis between Serbia and Kosovo that provoked international concerns. He has been ordered released from prison and placed under house arrest, The Associated Press said.

“This means that from tomorrow (Thursday), from the morning hours, the removal of barricades will begin," Vucic said after the meeting. “This is not a simple process, and can’t be done in two hours, as some imagined.”

"“Within 24 to 48 hours the barricades will be removed,” Vucic said. “But the distrust is not removed.”

The Dec. 10 arrest of the former officer, Dejan Pantic, led to protests by Kosovo Serbs who erected multiple roadblocks in the north of the country.

Pantic was detained for “terrorism” after allegedly assaulting a Kosovo police officer during an earlier protest.

Kosovo’s prime minister, Albin Kurti, criticized the court’s decision to release Pantic on house arrest.

“I’m curious to know who is the prosecutor that makes a request and judge who approves a decision to place someone on house arrest when they have a standing terrorism charge,” Kurti said at a news conference.

Pantic's arrest prompted weeks of tense standoffs, punctuated by gunfire and explosions near patrols of the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force and journalists. No one was severely injured.
Ultimately, Serbia raised combat readiness of its troops on the border with Kosovo, demanding an end to “attacks” against Kosovo Serbs.

Kosovo has asked NATO-led peacekeepers stationed there to remove the barriers and hinted that Pristina’s forces would do it if the peacekeeping force did not react. About 4,000 NATO-led peacekeepers have been stationed in Kosovo since a 1998-99 separatist war ended with Serbia losing control over what was then one of its provinces.

Late Tuesday, Serbs blocked one of the main roads from Serbia to Kosovo, at the border crossing of Merdare, prompting Kosovo’s authorities to call on thousands of expats heading to Kosovo for the holidays from European countries to avoid that crossing and use others.

“The erection of the barricades in the roads is an unlawful and unacceptable act that will not be tolerated,” Kurti said. “We have given KFOR the time and space needed to act, but of course, this time is quickly running out,” he warned.

The United States and the European Union expressed concern at the situation in a joint statement Wednesday.

“We call on everyone to exercise maximum restraint, to take immediate action to unconditionally de-escalate the situation, and to refrain from provocations, threats, or intimidation,” the statement released by the State Department and the EU said.

It added that both parties were working with Serbia's Vucic and Kosovo's Kurti “to find a political solution ... and agree on the way forward.”

The statement welcomed what it said were assurances from Kosovo's leaders that there exist no lists of Kosovo Serbs to be arrested or prosecuted for peaceful protests or erecting barricades.

“At the same time, rule of law must be respected, and any form of violence is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” it stressed.

The German government said it is “very concerned” about the tensions in northern Kosovo.

“The illegal barricades erected by Kosovo Serbs must be taken down as quickly as possible, and yesterday’s blockade of the Merdare border crossing on the Serbian side exacerbates the situation further,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger said in Berlin.

France’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday warned any travelers near the Serbia-Kosovo border to exercise “the greatest vigilance” and avoid gatherings as long as the tensions last.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Western attempts to mediate a negotiated settlement to normalize relations between the two have failed, with Serbia refusing to recognize Kosovo’s statehood.



Iran Says Talks with US to Focus Solely on Nuclear Issue, Lifting Sanctions

Iranian newspaper front pages on the day of the highest-level Iran-US nuclear talks in years - AFP
Iranian newspaper front pages on the day of the highest-level Iran-US nuclear talks in years - AFP
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Iran Says Talks with US to Focus Solely on Nuclear Issue, Lifting Sanctions

Iranian newspaper front pages on the day of the highest-level Iran-US nuclear talks in years - AFP
Iranian newspaper front pages on the day of the highest-level Iran-US nuclear talks in years - AFP

Iran's foreign ministry said Sunday that talks with the United States slated for next weekend will remain "indirect" with Omani mediation, and focused solely on the nuclear issue and lifting of sanctions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff held talks Saturday in Muscat, marking the highest-level Iran-US nuclear negotiations since the collapse of a 2015 accord.

They agreed to meet again in seven days.

"Negotiations will continue to be indirect. Oman will remain the mediator, but we are discussing the location of future negotiations," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said in an interview with state TV.

He said the talks would only focus on "the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions," and that Iran "will not have any talks with the American side on any other issue."

Analysts had said the US would push to include on the agenda discussions over Iran's ballistic missile program along with Tehran's support for the "axis of resistance" -- a network of militant groups opposed to Israel, AFP reported.

Tehran has, however, maintained it will talk only about its nuclear program.

Donald Trump in 2018 pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers during his first term as US president.

He reimposed sweeping economic sanctions against Iran, which continued to adhere to the agreement for a year after Washington's pullout but later began rolling back its own commitments.

Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.

On Sunday, Iranian media largely welcomed the rare talks as a "decisive turning point" in relations between the longtime foes.

Iran's conservative Javan daily praised the US for "not seeking to expand the negotiations to non-nuclear issues".

The government-sponsored newspaper, Iran, described the discussions as "constructive and respectful," quoting Araghchi.

Meanwhile, the reformist Shargh newspaper said it was a "decisive turning point" in Iran-US relations.

The hardline Kayhan newspaper, which was largely sceptical in the days leading up to the talks, lamented that Iran does not have a "plan B" while there was "no clear prospect for an agreement with Donald Trump."

It, however, lauded the fact that the American side did not bring up "the dismantling of nuclear facilities" and "the possibility of a military attack" during the discussions.