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EU flouts Serbian president’s position on Kosovo — Russian ambassador

Speaking to Serbian journalists during his visit to Oslo, President Vucic recalled last week’s rallies in Kosovo and Metohija, saying that the situation in the region is very tense, "literally boiling"

BELGRADE, November 29. /TASS/. The European Union is ignoring Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s position on the Kosovo settlement, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said on Tuesday.

"According to the Serbian mass media, in his comments on the continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell strongly has hinted that it is now necessary to focus on the so-called Franco-German proposal in the settlement of the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. It looks like he cares little about Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s position on this matter," the press service of the Russian embassy quoted him as saying. "In other words, the West has eased tensions around the license plate problem deliberately created by Pristina not for the sake of normalizing the situation in the region."

According to the Russian diplomat, the European Union’s activities as a mediator in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina "has nothing to do with the role of an honest broker." "It should be borne in mind that it was the General Assembly who mandated the EU play a mediatory role in the dialogue. Did Brussels ask UN member nations, of which the majority - more than 100 - do not recognize Kosovo’s ‘independence,’ to put the so-called Franco-German plan on the dialogue’s agenda? Naturally, it is a rhetorical question," he said.

Speaking to Serbian journalists during his visit to Oslo, President Vucic recalled last week’s rallies in Kosovo and Metohija, saying that the situation in the region is very tense, "literally boiling."

On November 5, Kosovo and Metohija Serbs quitted all government institutions of unrecognized Kosovo after the Kosovo authorities had decided to fine those who did not change their Serbian license plates starting November 22. Fines will amount to 150 euros. After April 21, 2023, when the transition period is over, the Kosovo police will be authorized to seize cars with Serbian plates.

Following EU-brokered talks between Belgrade and Pristina on November 23, Prime Minister of the unrecognized Kosovo Albin Kurti, under pressure from the United States, dropped the policy of fines for Serbian license plates.