Kosovo has been urged to hold new elections in the north of the country to de-escalate tensions with Serbia, after an intervention by Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron.
Earlier in the day tensions had flared when the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vučić, accused his Kosovan counterpart, Vjosa Osmani, of refusing to talk to him at the summit or enter dialogue over what he said were "sham elections" across the border.
Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority boycotted local elections in the north in April, allowing ethnic Albanians to take control of local councils despite a turnout of less than 3.5%.
"It is very clear that the Kosovan authorities bear the responsibility for the current situation," Macron told reporters in Moldova, saying there was "non-compliance" with an agreement secured a few weeks ago.
"We have asked the two parties to organise new elections in these four municipalities as soon as possible, with an undertaking from Kosovo, with participation in these elections in a clear manner on the part of the Serbian side," the French president said.
This story is from the June 03, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the June 03, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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