While the Russian-Ukrainian war was the most important issue that overshadowed the summit of 47 European leaders in Moldova on Thursday, the crisis between Kosovo and Serbia, about 500 miles (almost 800 kilometers) away, was the other topic on the agenda of the summit.

Edited by| Paul Mitchel

Politic section -  CJ journalist

Europe - June,4,2023 

Decades - old tensions exploded in New violent clashes this week in northern Kosovo-and the political fallout shows few signs of abating quickly. The United States, the European Union and Russia are among the countries that have influence on the situation, while NATO has confirmed its readiness to send more troops to the region if the unrest does not stop.

Decades of accumulated tension slowly exploded when the Yugoslav federation collapsed in the nineties under the Serbian nationalist leader Slobodan Milosevic. In response, ethnic Albanian leaders in Kosovo sought independence, and the situation escalated into a rebellion on their part and brutal violent repression from Belgrade.

The conflict, which took place between 1998 and 1999, caused more than 10 thousand deaths and displaced more than a million people. A NATO intervention in 1999 forced Serbian forces to withdraw from Kosovo and cede control there to international peacekeepers. Kosovo declared independence in 2008.

Kosovo's independence is now recognized by 99 out of 193 UN member countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and 22 out of 27 EU member countries. But Serbia has never accepted the statehood of Kosovo, as have its allies Russia and China. This impasse means that tensions continue to escalate.

About half of Kosovo's Serb population lives in four provinces in the north, where they constitute a large majority. Attempts to issue items such as Kosovan identity cards or car license plates have been met with resistance over the years, and law enforcement efforts have led to protests and sometimes violent clashes.

Car number plates became a major problem towards the end of last year when Kosovan officials said it was no longer possible to use license plates dating back to the 1998-1999 conflict. Fines of about 130 pounds sterling (162 dollars) were to be issued to everyone who uses a Serbian painting.

These plans led to a mass resignation of ethnic Serbs from national institutions throughout Kosovo. This included the police, as more than 600 police officers of Serbian origin handed over their police badges.

EU-brokered talks at the end of November failed to resolve the dispute, but a 48-hour delay in the imposition of fines demanded by the United States was approved.

With growing warnings of the threat of violence, the EU's foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, announced two more days later that an agreement had been reached.

"Serbia will stop issuing license plates with the names of cities in Kosovo," Borrell said, adding that "Kosovo will stop any further actions related to the re-registration of vehicles".

Borrell expressed his frustration with the nationalist leaders of the two entities, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, for failing to resolve the conflict before reaching that point. And this will not be the last time.

This was followed by the Serbian Army's announcement in December to put its troops at the "highest level of combat readiness", and strengthened its presence on the Kosovan border after roadblocks appeared in Serb – majority areas of northern Kosovo following the arrest of a former police officer – of Serbian origin-on suspicion of attacking a Kosovan police officer. He was later released.

In March this year, Borrell announced that Serbia and Kosovo had agreed – at least verbally – on a plan drawn up by the European Union to normalize diplomatic relations between them.

Both Kosovo and Serbia are seeking to join the European Union, giving EU officials leverage to exert pressure to bring the parties to the negotiating table.

Serbia has been a candidate country for EU membership since 2012, while Kosovo submitted an official application to join the Union in December 2022 as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.

Serbia has significant influence in the Western Balkans, and concern among Western officials about the spread of instability there has increased with Belgrade's refusal to participate in European sanctions against Moscow.

Speaking in the North Macedonian resort of Ohrid, where the reconciliation between the two countries took place, Boril said: "finally," adding, "it's not just about Kosovo and Serbia. This dialogue should be considered in the current broader geopolitical context, as an important tool for maintaining peace and stability in the wider Western Balkans region,"he said.

It wasn't meant to last. Serbs boycotted last month's local elections in northern Kosovo. Four mayors of Albanian origin were elected with a polling percentage of less than four percent.

Last week, these elected mayors were escorted to their offices by armed Kosovar policemen, provoking violent clashes with local Serbs that resulted in the injury of some Serbs as well as a number of peacekeepers.

NATO has sent an additional 700 troops to the region, in addition to the 3,700-strong force stationed there, although NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that additional troops may need to be sent.

In a familiar pattern, both Kosovo's prime minister kurti and Serbia's President Vucic have refused to back down, despite saying they want a solution to the situation.

Both the European Union and the United States have called for a reduction in tensions, and Washington considered attempts to force mayors to take office an "unnecessary"escalation. The United States also canceled Kosovo's participation in military exercises led by it. The Kremlin intervened to urge respect for the rights of Serbs, while Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic printed on the camera lens the slogan: "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence" - a step that will not help to resolve things.

Vucic said at the Moldavia summit on Thursday that the fastest way to peace is for the Kosovo authorities to withdraw the "so-called mayors" from the North and declare that Kosovo's special police units went there illegally.

Kosovo's President vejza Osmani, who attended instead of kurti, said Serbia was supporting "criminal gangs" in northern Kosovo.

The two held talks with the leaders of France and Germany – as well as with EU official Borrell – in an attempt to deal with the crisis.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he and German Chancellor Olaf Schulz had urged that new elections be held as soon as possible and that the rules surrounding them should be clarified.

History suggests that persuading the parties to agree and take action may not be so simple.

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