The Kosovo government said on Tuesday it will scale down the police presence and take other measures to lower tensions in a northern region where hostilities between Albanians and ethnic Serbs have reached their highest level since the country declared independence in 2008.
Violence in north Kosovo, where 50,000 Serbs live and form a majority, erupted in late May after Albanian mayors took office following an election boycotted by Serbs demanding implementation of a decade-old deal for more autonomy.
In a statement late on Tuesday the government said, "it will not take any action that will escalate the situation in the north ... this includes an immediate 25 percent reduction of police presence in and around municipal buildings."
The EU has already introduced measures on Pristina including halting visits by Kosovo officials to the EU and a suspension of a large part of EU economic aid to the small Balkan republic, and Brussels has warned of further measures if Kosovo Prime Miniter Albin Kurti does not act to ease the tensions.
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