Kosovo's foreign minister discusses violence in region with Lipavský

Kosovo's Foreign Minister Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz met with her Czech counterpart Jan Lipavský in Prague on Tuesday to discuss the increasingly tense situation in the Western Balkans. Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, she said that Kosovo is ready to hold new local elections in the north of the country, but if the Serbian minority boycotts them, this will not be a solution. She said that what is needed is for Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to commit to stopping violence against Serbian voters in Kosovo if they participate in the vote.

The Czech foreign minister condemned the violence in the north of Kosovo and called for both Pristina and Belgrade to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation and help ease tensions so that new local elections can be held.