“We call on all concerned to exercise the utmost restraint,” the EU Foreign Service (EEAS) and the US State Department said on Wednesday.
Immediate measures should be taken to de-escalate the situation and provocations, threats or intimidation should be avoided, a joint statement said.
The leadership in Pristina blocked the main border crossing into Serbia near the city of Podujevo on Wednesday. The move came after Serb militants previously blocked access on the Serbian side of the border. The recent tensions originally arose when the government in Pristina invalidated the old Serbian number plates.
The EU-US statement welcomed the fact that Kosovo’s leadership had given assurances that there would be no lists of Kosovo Serb citizens arrested or prosecuted for peaceful protests or barricades. As part of the mandate of the EU mission Eulex, investigations and subsequent proceedings will be closely monitored to promote respect for human rights.
(SDA)