Serbia appeals for the removal of Kosovo Serb roadblocks

(BELGRADE) - The Serbian government on Thursday appealed to Kosovo Serbs to remove border roadblocks, urging all sides to avoid further escalation of the conflict in northern Kosovo.

"The government of Serbia considers the removal of barricades in the north of the province important for the stabilisation of life in northern Kosovo," it said in a statement.

"Everything should be done to avoid a further escalation of violence," the government said, days after 30 NATO soldiers and dozens of Serb protesters were injured in violent clashes over the roadblocks Monday.

"The government of Serbia appeals on Serbs in Kosovo to avoid conflicts with members of international missions," it added.

The government statement was released as its representative in Brussels was talking to Kosovo counterparts in a bid to reach an agreement on the two disputed border crossings in northern Kosovo.

Belgrade is coming under sharp pressure in Brussels to help ease unrest on the Kosovo-Serbia border, if it wants to get EU candidacy status next week.

Fresh violence at border crossings in recent days has left scores injured, including NATO peacekeepers, while threatening to scuttle the fledgling Serbia-Kosovo talks as well as Serbia's dreams of EU membership.

Heading a meeting of EU foreign ministers, the bloc's external relations chief Catherine Ashton welcomed apparent progress in the talks but pressed Belgrade to exercise "the maximum pressure on those who perpetrate violence to make sure the barricades are removed".