Serbia puts army on alert as tensions soar in Kosovo

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia has placed its security troops on the border with Kosovo on "full state of combat readiness", ignoring NATO's calls for a de-escalation of tensions between the two sides.

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia rejects it and considers Kosovo its own province.

Serbian Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic said on Monday that he had "ordered the full combat readiness" of police and other security units and that they be placed under the command of the army chief of staff according to "their operational plan".

This summer, tensions rose over the Kosovo authorities' decision to oblige Serbian vehicles to use their license plates. In July, ethnic Serbs blocked roads and erected barricades in northern Kosovo to protest the move.

Gasic said in a statement that he had acted on the orders of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic so that "all measures be taken to protect the Serbian people in Kosovo".

It was not immediately clear what this order meant on the ground as Serbian troops have been on alert for a while on the border. Officials claim alleged harassment of Kosovo Serbs by ethnic Albanians who are a majority in the province.

Earlier on Monday, NATO-led forces in Kosovo said they were investigating a shooting incident in a tense northern region of Kosovo, urging calm as Serbia's top military officials inspected their troops on the border in a show of combat readiness.

Serbia's defense minister and the army's chief of staff traveled to the border with Kosovo, praising the combat readiness of Serbian troops and their firepower, including howitzers and other military hardware.

Kosovo remains a potential flashpoint in the Balkans years after the 1998-99 war that led to NATO intervention.

The right way

Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said in October that dialogue and consultation are the right way to address the Kosovo issue.

China encourages both sides to continue to engage with each other in a pragmatic and constructive manner, and implement the outcomes of previous negotiations. In accordance with the provisions of the Brussels agreement, Kosovo should advance the establishment of the community of Serb municipalities, he said.

China hopes the parties concerned can work with each other within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 to reach a mutually acceptable political solution through sincere dialogue, and fully respect Serbia's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in this process, he said.

Xinhua