Nato calls for calm in Kosovo after clashes

BRUSSELS: Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg called on Kosovo to tone down tensions with Serbia yesterday, two days after clashes between Kosovan police and protesters who are opposed to Albanian mayors taking office in ethnic Serbian areas.

The transatlantic military alliance’s Norwegian secretarygeneral said Pristina and Belgrade must engage in European Unionled dialogue.

‘‘Pristina must deescalate and not take unilateral, destabilising steps,’’ Stoltenberg said.

Serbs, who form the majority of the population in Kosovo’s northern region, do not accept its 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia and still see Belgrade as their capital, more than two decades after the war ended in 1999.

Ethnic Albanians make up more than 90% of the population in Kosovo as a whole.

Serbs refused to take part in local elections last month and Albanian candidates won all four municipalities with a 3.5% turnout.

Local Serbs, backed by Belgrade, said they would not accept the mayors.

Last week, three out of four mayors were escorted into their offices by police, who were pelted with rocks by protesters and responded with tear gas and water cannons.

Heavily armed police in armoured vehicles were still guarding the offices yesterday.

The resulting clashes between police and protesters prompted Serbia to put its army on full combat alert and to move units closer to the border.

KFOR, the 3800strong Natoled peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, said it would remain vigilant.

A joint statement from the embassies of the United States, Italy, France, Germany and United Kingdom and the EU office in Pristina warned Kosovo against any other measures to force access to the municipality buildings.

At the weekend, Russia blamed Kosovo, the US and the EU for escalating tensions in the Balkans and said it was watching with concern.

‘‘We decisively condemn Pristina’s provocative steps, which have brought the situation close to the hot phase and directly threaten the security of the whole Balkans region,’’ Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. — Reuters

PHOTO: REUTERS Kosovo special police forces guard municipal offices yesterday, after Serb protesters prevented a newly elected ethnic Albanian mayor from entering the office in Zvecan, in Leposavic, Kosovo.