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Foreign Secretary and German Foreign Minister express concern about violence in Kosovo

Foreign Secretary William Hague and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle have said they are "seriously concerned" about the violence on the border between Serbia and Kosovo.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

In a joint statement the two Foreign Ministers said:

“We are seriously concerned about the recent outbreak of violence at the border between Serbia and Kosovo. We jointly condemn all acts of violence. We underline the necessity to respect the territorial integrity of Kosovo, to refrain from further acts of violence and from any steps that may have a negative impact on stability and security.

“In this regard, we actively and fully support the mediated dialogue under the auspices of Lady Ashton on behalf of the European Union. The dialogue provides a crucial opportunity to find peaceful solutions to outstanding issues between Belgrade and Pristina, and to move both Serbia and Kosovo towards a secure future in the EU.

“We have said in the past and we reiterate now that the way neighbourhood issues are dealt with is a key benchmark for an EU perspective. Therefore, Serbia and Kosovo need to focus, in the dialogue under EU-auspices, on all six issues currently under discussion as well as on progress in northern Kosovo. Tangible progress in all these areas will play a role in the EU’s discussions in the autumn.”

Published 28 July 2011