UPDATE 2 - Perpetrators of violence in Kosovo have to be accountable, says EU foreign policy chief

ADDS MORE DOORSTEP REMARKS

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The violence in northern Kosovo has to be condemned and the perpetrators of it have to be accountable, the EU foreign policy chief said on Thursday.

Josep Borrell's remarks came during his doorstep before the 2nd European Political Community Summit, which is bringing together the leaders of European countries on the continent and the heads of EU institutions in Bulboaca, Moldova.

"We have to insist that the violence is not the way," he said, recalling that he met Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Wednesday and he expects to meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

"Everybody has to try to avoid any kind of escalation and uncoordinated moves," added Borrell.

Tensions have gripped Kosovo with protesters and security forces clashing in the northern Serb-dominated municipalities over the election of ethnic Albanian mayors.

Albanians are the largest ethnic group in Kosovo, followed by Serbs, especially in the north, near the border with Serbia.

During the clashes, at least 30 NATO soldiers were injured.

About Russia's Thursday attack on Kyiv in which two children were among the fatalities, he said this is another sign that "Russia continues attacking civilian population in Ukraine."

"I hope that the presence of so many leaders here, very close to Ukraine at some kilometers of the border, will send a strong message about the unity of many, many states ... on defending international order, on defending the rights of the people, defending sovereignty of the countries."

He also noted that stability, connectivity, and security are the three key words of the summit from the point of view of building a common frame policy for the EU.

- 'Security, energy, connectivity'

For her part, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said they are here in the summit to show support for Moldova, for Ukraine, and the wider European community.

"We have common challenges, security, energy, and connectivity which we can only address through common action," she said.

Metsola also noted that risks posed by Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine can only be met with "a test of our resilience."

"I am very happy to see so many leaders of Western Balkan countries here, because we will plead for faster, more urgent, and more deep European integration for these countries," she added.

Meanwhile, European Council President Charles Michel said today's event, in which 45 countries are represented, is "a powerful symbol."

"We have a common political will to coordinate, to cooperate in the fields of energy, security, infrastructure," he added.

He went on to say that they will discuss all these topics to try to build more political versions to defend "some very important common interests."

Also touching on a meeting with leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia that is expected to take place later on Thursday, Michel said he hopes that today's talk will confirm a common political will to normalize the relationship between the two countries.

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev will participate in a "five-sided" meeting, alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and European Council President Michel on the sidelines of the summit.

- Moldova's EU accession bid

In her doorstep remarks, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said she will raise the issue of her country's EU accession during bilateral talks at the summit.

"As we have said already, our commitment is to make Moldova ready for EU accession by the end of this decade," she said.

Sandu added that she will urge the EU leadership to support this plan as she stressed that they are "really very committed."

"We want to have the chance to continue and to have the EU accession and the initiation of the negotiations happening as soon as possible," she noted.

Moldova is hosting the second European Political Community Summit following the first meeting in Prague, the capital of Czech Republic, last October.

The previous summit involved leaders from the 27 EU member states, as well as Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, and the UK.

Around 50 heads of state and government are participating in this year's event, which is taking place at the Mimi Castle in Bulboaca, a vineyard about 35 kilometers (21 miles) away from the capital Chisinau.