US delegation leaves for Balkans amid rising tensions-News Focus bd

A senior State Department official will lead a US delegation to three Western Balkan countries in the coming days after weeks of ethnic tensions in the region.

Area map of the Balkans

US State Department Counselor Derek Chole and the country's delegation will visit Serbia, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.

Authorities have reopened the border crossing between Kosovo and Serbia after fears that tensions could turn violent as roadblocks by Serbs closed.

Chole told Serbian VOA's Serbian service on Thursday that he will visit the area next week at this crucial moment.

"Over the past few weeks, unfortunately, tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have escalated. In the last 48 hours, we've seen the barricades fall and the reopening of the border crossing between Kosovo and Serbia. That's good news," he said.

Since 2011, Serbia and Kosovo have been part of an EU-sponsored dialogue aimed at normalizing their relations. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 - a claim Serbian authorities have never recognized.

The European Union facilitated dialogue between the two sides last year, but talks ended in a near-deadlock.

Chole said he wanted to discuss the future of Kosovo and Serbia, as well as emphasize the EU's normalization proposal.

In recent months, US and European officials have been involved in accelerating dialogue on normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Chole declined to elaborate on the proposal presented by the European Union.

Wikipedia: Kosovo–Serbia relations