On Tuesday 27 March, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS), Maja Kocijancic, called on the Serbian and Kosovar authorities to show restraint and maturity following the arrest in Mitrovica, and then the expulsion to Kosovo, of the person tasked with the Kosovo issue within the Serbian government, Marko Djuric. Djuric had entered Kosovo without authorisation, but Belgrade described the incident as an "abduction".
"We call on the authorities of both sides to show the necessary restraint and maturity so the current situation on the ground in Kosovo cannot escalate further", the EEAS spokesperson told press.
Kocijancic said that the developments in Kosovo the previous day countered the normalisation of relations. "The EU expects Kosovo and Serbia to respect fully, in letter and in spirit, the agreement reached as part of the dialogue", she went on to say. The spokesperson stated that all issues of mutual interest between the two countries should be resolved as part of this dialogue.
Saying that High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini was in regular contact with the presidents of the two countries, Kocijancic announced that Mogheirni was due to meet Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic later that day in Serbia. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)