EU says agreement reached on Russian convoy

The European Commission has come to an agreement with the Russian government on ensuring passage to Kosovo to a convoy of humanitarian aid from Russia. This is according to European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic, who made the statement for Beta news agency late on Tuesday. EU says agreement reached on Russian convoy "The EU is in touch with all involved sides with a view to making the agreement a reality," the spokeswoman was quoted as saying. She also "voiced hope that everyone would cooperate so the deal could be put into effect quickly". No further details have been reported. The Russian humanitarian aid convoy, sent to Serbs in northern Kosovo, has been blocked at the Jarinje administrative line checkpoint for two days now, with an EULEX spokesperson saying on Tuesday that the convoy "had two choices", namely to accept EULEX police escort or to go to the Kosovo Albanian controlled checkpoint of Merdare. The Russian side rejected both options, saying that they did not require EULEX's escort, and would not travel to a checkpoint controlled by Pristina. Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleskandr Konuzin is also at Jarinje, where he earlier in the day spoke to reporters to accuse the EU mission in the province, EULEX, of "politicizing the issue", and announce that it would be "a priority topic" in the ongoing EU-Russia summit, taking place in Brussels. Also on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused EULEX of stepping outside its status-neutral mandate "and creating obstacles by inventing various reasons to disallow entry to the cargo". Jarinje (Beta)

EU says agreement reached on Russian convoy

"The EU is in touch with all involved sides with a view to making the agreement a reality," the spokeswoman was quoted as saying. She also "voiced hope that everyone would cooperate so the deal could be put into effect quickly".

No further details have been reported.

The Russian humanitarian aid convoy, sent to Serbs in northern Kosovo, has been blocked at the Jarinje administrative line checkpoint for two days now, with an EULEX spokesperson saying on Tuesday that the convoy "had two choices", namely to accept EULEX police escort or to go to the Kosovo Albanian controlled checkpoint of Merdare.

The Russian side rejected both options, saying that they did not require EULEX's escort, and would not travel to a checkpoint controlled by Priština.

Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleskandr Konuzin is also at Jarinje, where he earlier in the day spoke to reporters to accuse the EU mission in the province, EULEX, of "politicizing the issue", and announce that it would be "a priority topic" in the ongoing EU-Russia summit, taking place in Brussels.

Also on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused EULEX of stepping outside its status-neutral mandate "and creating obstacles by inventing various reasons to disallow entry to the cargo".