Brussels, 14/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 11 July, the European Union urged the Serbians and Kosovars “to refrain from any action on and in the vicinity of the Mitrovica main bridge and other bridges without prior agreement”. A month after a barricade was dismantled, a “peace park” was set up by the Serbians on the Mitrovica bridge - without consulting the Kosovars. The objective was apparently to block the re-opening to traffic.
At the invitation of High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, Kosovo's Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri, Head of the Kosovo office in Serbia Marko Djuric, and the European External Action Service (EEAS) team on the Balkans met in Brussels on 11 July to discuss all issues related to the Mitrovica bridge following tension there. The aim of the meeting was to set out the path to follow in order to deal with all Mitrovica bridge issues - in line with the agreements made as part of the dialogue, and in an attempt to normalise relations. The parties agreed to form a working group for this purpose - a group which will meet in Brussels on 22 July, said Ashton's spokesperson. (CG)