EU asks Serbs to co-operate, leaves north Kosovo

The European Union's envoy in Kosovo appealed to Serbs for co-operation on the sixth day of protests against the declaration of independence by Serbia's former province.

Pieter Feith confirmed yesterday his mission had moved its staff from the Serb stronghold of north Mitrovica. An international official told Reuters on Friday the small EU team had been relocated a week ago due to security concerns.

Mobs stormed the US embassy in Belgrade on Thursday, after hundreds of Serbs burned down two border posts in north Kosovo in response to the secession. British, German, Croatian and Turkish missions were also attacked.

A senior Serb minister blamed Washington for the violence.

"The US is the major culprit for all troubles since February 17," Serb Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic told the state news agency Tanjug. "The root of violence is the violation of international law."

Feith, the EU's new civilian representative in Kosovo, urged the Serb minority to accept political facts.

"I would like to appeal to the Serb community to be generous and to turn the page and look forward to working together with us," Feith told reporters in the southern town of Prizren.

"We have temporarily brought back our personnel but we will maintain our office in the north. We hope that conditions will soon allow us to resume our activities."