Policeman killed in Kosovo, EU calls for calm

Jul 26, 2011, 22:20 GMT

Brussels/Pristina/Belgrade - European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Tuesday urged leaders in Serbia and Kosovo to reduce tensions that once again flared into deadly violence, claiming a policeman's life.

The Kosovo Albanian policeman succumbed to injuries sustained in an apparent sniper attack as his unit attempted to take control of a border crossing toward Serbia in the tense, Serb-dominated north, local media said late Tuesday.

Earlier, Ashton said in a statement that she spoke with Serbian President Boris Tadic and Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, asking them to work to 'restore calm immediately' and for the resolution of problems through dialogue.

The two sides have been negotiating real-life problems since March under EU facilitation, but the talks hit a wall last week, when Serbia refused to lift an effective trade embargo on Kosovo goods, drawing a 'reciprocal' measure from Pristina.

In the wake of the decision to slap the embargo, Thaci's government on Sunday night ordered police commando units to assume control over border checkpoints in the mostly Serb north.

Serbs responded by erecting roadblocks in a bid to prevent the heavily-armed police from reaching the borders. The wounded policeman died, while unconfirmed Serb reports spoke of three people wounded in an exchange of gunfire.

The NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, deployed units to the areas of contact in order to prevent an explosion of violence.

On Tuesday evening Belgrade media quoted Borislav Stefanovic, the Serbian diplomat in charge of negotiations with Kosovo, that a deal had been reached to defuse the standoff.

According to those reports, Serbs removed roadblocks and the checkpoints were to be returned by morning to joint control of Serb nationals in the Kosovo police force and the EU's law-enforcing mission, the EULEX.

The Albanian side did not confirm that arrangement, however, but the situation appeared less chaotic and tense than hours before.

While Albanians make up 90 per cent of the Kosovo population, Serbs vastly dominate the northernmost section. Backed by Belgrade financially and politically, they continue to resist efforts of Pristina to assert control over the area.

Kosovo, regarded as heartland soil by most Serbs, declared independence in 2008, nine years after NATO drove Serbia's forces from the territory to end war and ethnic cleansing attacks.

Belgrade leaders insist that Serbia will never recognize its former province as a sovereign state but has made moves to ease humanitarian issues as it seeks to move closer to EU membership.

Serbia agreed to the talks under EU auspices under huge pressure - it was a condition for it to begin moving closer to EU membership. Serbs now expect the EU to set normalized relations with Kosovo as the next condition for Belgrade.

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