Kosovo: “Consolidation of peace and security is of primary importance,” says Dendias

Due to the tense situation in Kosovo, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, contacted on Tuesday morning the head of the Liaison Office of Greece in Pristina, as well as officials of the NATO-led Greek detachment of KFOR,.

According to diplomatic sources, this is in order to be informed about the situation in the region after the last developments.

As they point out, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as part of the initiatives he undertakes to de-escalate the tension through his frequent visits to the Western Balkans region, is in regular contact with the EU’s special envoy for the Western Balkans, Miroslav Lajčák.

For this purpose, as the diplomatic sources note, Dendias has appointed the ambassador, Sofia Grammata, special envoy for the Western Balkans.

Furthermore, they underline that Greece attaches primary importance to the consolidation of peace, security and stability in the wider region of the Western Balkans and supports the continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue advocating a mutually agreed resolution that is final and legally binding.

The Serbian army says it is at its “highest level of combat readiness” after weeks of escalating tensions between Serbia and the Albanian-majority breakaway region of Kosovo.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says he will “take all measures to protect our people and preserve Serbia”.

Kosovo, which has an overwhelmingly ethnic Albanian majority, broke away from Serbia after a war in 1998-99. Serbia does not recognise Kosovo as an independent state, nor do the indigenous ethnic Serbs who live there.

Belgrade accuses Kosovo of plotting “terrorism against Serbs” in areas where some 50,000 ethnic Serbs live.

The European Union has been attempting to mediate. The 27-member bloc is calling for “maximum restraint and immediate action” and for the leaders in Belgrade and Pristina to “personally contribute to a political solution”.