BRUSSELS/BELGRADE, January 24. /TASS/. The top-level talks of Serbia and Kosovo, mediated by the European Union, began with a working dinner in Brussels on Tuesday, Serbia’s national RTS broadcaster said.

The talks, preceded by a series of bilateral meetings with the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, are attended by the Serbian and Kosovan presidents and prime ministers.

It is the first diplomatic meeting following the incident with the Belgrade-Kosovska Mitrovica passenger train, which was to proceed along this route for the first time over the past two decades during the weekend but had to return because of the provocations by Kosovo Albanians.

The incident provoked an exchange of hostile statements and moves. Kosovo Albanians started to install mines along the train’s route and deployed troops in the northern part of the city, where military presence is prohibited by agreements between Kosovo and Serbia. Belgrade retaliated by declaring its readiness to send in the army if the Serbian population is repressed.

Serbian Preisident Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic later said the incident brought the region to the brink of war.