Kosovo and Serbia are urged to return to talks

The NATO-led peacekeeping force on Friday called on both Kosovo and Serbia to return to the negotiating table to resolve their issues to prevent violence like the recent shootout between masked Serb gunmen and Kosovo police that left four people dead and sent tensions soaring in the region.

Kosovo Force commander Maj. Gen. Angelo Michele Ristuccia called on both countries to “refrain from inflammatory and counterproductive rhetoric and help to create the necessary conditions for lasting security in Kosovo and across the region.”

Ristuccia said that KFOR fully supported European Union-facilitated dialogue to normalize their ties.

In February, the EU put forward a 10-point plan to end months of political crises. Kosovar and Serbian leaders gave their approval at the time, but with some reservations that haven’t been resolved.