SERBIAN PRESIDENT Boris Tadic has urged Serbs to dismantle roadblocks in Kosovo, after clashes with foreign troops jeopardised Belgrade’s hopes of securing a key deal with the European Union.
The latest violence at barricades near the Kosovo-Serbia border injured 25 German and Austrian soldiers serving with the Nato-led peacekeeping force (Kfor) and left scores of Serbs needing treatment after Kfor fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse them.
Two of the injured soldiers were shot by protesters wielding guns, Nato said.
Serbs built the roadblocks in July to prevent police and officials from Kosovo’s 90 per cent ethnic-Albanian majority taking control of customs checkpoints on Kosovo’s border with Serbia.
Serbia’s government and Kosovo Serbs do not recognise the Kosovo government’s 2008 declaration of independence, and so refuse to accept the border.
Kosovo’s leaders say the protests are organised by Serb criminals whose smuggling businesses would suffer if strict border controls were established.
They accuse Serb nationalists of stoking public anger to undermine Mr Tadic and his pro-EU government ahead of elections next year.
Mr Tadic also pointed the finger at nationalists yesterday, on the eve of planned talks between Serb and Kosovo officials in Brussels. Progress is essential if Belgrade is to receive EU candidate status at a summit on December 9th.
