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US, EU Envoys Tell Kosovo to Immediately Deescalate Tensions After Clashes With Serbs

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - EU special envoy for Belgrade-Pristina talks Miroslav Lajcak and US Deputy Assistant Secretary Gabriel Escobar demanded Tuesday that Kosovo ruler Albin Kurti immediately deescalate tensions in the Serb-majority northern areas of the region following last week's clashes.
Sputnik
"We are deeply concerned about the situation in the north and call for immediate de-escalation on the ground, early elections with the participation of Kosovo Serbs and return to Dialogue on normalisation," Lajcak tweeted.
On May 29, clashes erupted after Kosovo police forcefully installed new ethnic Albanian mayors in offices in several cities in the north following municipal elections in April.
The polls were boycotted by the Serbian community but declared valid despite a turnout of just 3.5%. More than 50 Serbian protesters and at least 30 NATO peacekeeping troops were injured in the clashes. The protests continue, as of this Tuesday.
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