Serbia is set to respond to Kosovo in a resolute manner in case tensions between the two sides reignite, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2022) Serbia is set to respond to Kosovo in a resolute manner in case tensions between the two sides reignite, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said on Wednesday.
Although there is no unrest in the streets, Serbs appear to be ready to defend their nation again, the top diplomat suggested.
"They are ready, and if Pristina repeats those actions with the connivance of the (NATO-led) Kosovo Force and the West, Serbs will respond in quite a resolute way, and in case of any violence against Kosovo Serbs, of course, Belgrade will rise to the defense and will not sit by," Botsan-Kharchenko told the Rossiya 24 broadcaster.
The recent escalation between Serbia and Kosovo, which Belgrade sees as its breakaway region, was triggered when Pristina announced plans to introduce new border rules from August 1. The controversial move pushed Serbs to set up roadblocks. Kosovo authorities eventually decided to postpone implementing the new regulations until September 1, on condition that the roadblocks are removed.
The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo accepted the invitation of EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to meet in Brussels on August 18 and resume discussions on normalization of relations. Serbian President Alexandar Vucic is also expected to hold talks with NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg.
