NATO forces in Kosovo have increased their patrols on the border with Serbia, following the deployment of Serbian tanks to a border crossing and protests by the Serbian population in Kosovo against his government's decision on vehicle license plates.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo or its license plates, and requires drivers coming from Kosovo to remove them and put on temporary ones while driving in Serbia. For its part, Kosovo has chosen to adopt a similar measure, requiring Serbian drivers in Kosovo to pay €5 for temporary license plates valid for two months.
The NATO said that it is «closely monitoring the situation across Kosovo» and working to ensure a «safe environment and freedom of movement for all communities.» Alliance helicopters have also been flying along the border for the past week to monitor developments.
The US Embassy in Belgrade announced via Twitter that American and Canadian officials had visited the border to better understand the situation. Also, Peter Stano, the EU's foreign affairs spokesman, said earlier this week that diplomatic activities were underway, both in Brussels and in the region. Furthermore, over the weekend, the Russian ambassador to Serbia visited two bases near the border with the Serbian defense minister. It should be noted that Russia does not recognize Kosovo.
For his part, the Albanian Prime Minister Eddie Rama visited Kosovo, where he condemned Serbia's military moves as theatrical and argued that dialogue is the only solution. The Serbian president, Alexander Vučić, He insisted that Serbia remains committed to peace, but «will not allow itself to be humiliated.» He also said that he would not return to the negotiating table until Kosovo withdrew the forces it had sent to the north to enforce the new rules on license plates.
Serbs demand their own army
Meanwhile, Milorad Dodik, The Serbian politician, who is one of the three members of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, said on Tuesday that Serbs in Bosnia are determined to create their own army.
In a move that could further increase tensions in the region following the Serbs« boycott of the country's political institutions, Dodik said that »we will withdraw our consent for the (joint) army" in a vote in the Republika Srpska. A decision could be made in the coming days, with the Serb army to be formed within months, he told reporters.
Bosnia's joint presidency consists of three members—representatives of the Orthodox Serbs, Catholic Croats, and Muslim Bosniaks—and is in charge of the country's armed forces. Since the end of the war in Yugoslavia, Bosnia has consisted of two semi-autonomous parts: the Serb-administered Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation, which are linked through central institutions, including the presidency and the joint army.
Zeljko Komšić, representative of the Croats in the presidency, opposed Dodik's proposals. «It is a criminal act of rebellion,» he said on Sarajevo radio.
The Bosnian army has 10,000 members—military and civilian personnel.
