EU: Serbia-Kosovo dialogue deadlocked, new discussions "in the coming days"

"There is still time between now and September 1", expected date of entry into force of new administrative and border rules imposed by Pristina and denounced by Belgrade, he added, after the meeting convened after a new episode of violence in northern Kosovo at the end of July. He did not specify the format of the upcoming talks.

Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, meeting within the framework of the "Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue" piloted since 2011 by the European Commission, "accepted that the process should continue (...). I do not lower arms," ​​said Borrell, reporting on the discussions to the press.

Aleksandar Vucic admitted, in a message on Instagram, that "the day had been complicated": "I cannot say that it was successful, but I will not comment further, because I remain hopeful that , by some miracle, we will be able to reach a compromise solution,” he added. He is due to meet representatives of Kosovo Serbs in Belgrade on Sunday.

NATO had warned Wednesday, after a meeting with the two leaders, that its peacekeeping force in Kosovo (Kfor) was "ready to intervene if stability was threatened" and to reinforce its personnel if necessary.

While the Russian offensive in Ukraine continues, "the international community does not want to see a resurgence of tensions. Both parties will be fully responsible in the event of an escalation on the ground", warned Josep Borrell.

Before the meeting, he had judged that "it was time to move towards a complete normalization of relations" between the two countries, a key condition for their accession to the EU.

Invoking a principle of "reciprocity", Pristina plans to impose temporary residence permits on people entering Kosovo with a Serbian identity card, and requires Kosovo Serbs to replace Serbian license plates in their vehicles by Republic of Kosovo plates.

These new measures led to a new episode of violence at the end of July in northern Kosovo, where the Serbian minority considers them vexatious. Under pressure from the United States, Pristina had postponed their implementation until September 1.

Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Wednesday in Brussels blamed the tensions on "illegal Serbian structures transformed into criminal gangs, which erect barricades" in the north of the country.

Belgrade has never recognized the independence proclaimed by Kosovo in 2008, a decade after a bloody war that left 13,000 dead, mostly Albanian Kosovars.

Since then, the region has been the scene of episodic friction. The approximately 120,000 Kosovo Serbs, a third of whom live in the north of the territory, do not recognize the authority of Pristina, remaining loyal to Belgrade.

Serbia and Kosovo both aspire to join the EU: Belgrade has had official candidate status since 2012, which has allowed it to start negotiations, while Kosovo is only a "potential candidate". However, five EU countries still refuse to recognize the independence of the former Serbian province.