
The senior adviser of the US Department of State, Derek Chollet, and the US envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, are expected to meet today in Pristina with the leaders of the Republic of Kosovo.
They are expected to hold meetings with senior officials of the Government in the late afternoon, while they will meet with the leaders of the opposition on Tuesday morning.
Their visit comes at a time when the situation in the north of Kosovo - an area inhabited by a majority of Serbs - is tense.
Some local Serbs there, as early as December 10, erected barricades and blocked the roads leading to the border points with Serbia, Jarinje and Brnjak.
These actions were taken after the Kosovo Police arrested the former member of this institution, Dejan Pantiq, under suspicion of involvement in attacks against the officials of the Central Election Commission in the north of Kosovo and the police.
The attacks happened while the CEC was preparing for the local elections in the northern municipalities: Leposavic, Zveçan, North Mitrovica and Zubin Potok.
The elections were announced after mayors and other Serbian representatives walked off the job in early November, protesting a decision by the Government of Kosovo not to allow the circulation of cars with license plates issued by Serbia.
Serbian representatives, supported by official Belgrade, also opposed the elections, which were originally scheduled for December 18.
Due to the tense situation, the president of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, postponed them to April next year.