Serbia and Kosovo leaders hold long-awaited face-to-face talks as the EU seeks to dial down tensions

By LORNE COOK
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have held long-awaited face-to-face talks that the European Union hopes will improve their strained relations. The meeting in Brussels come as calls mount for a change in the Western diplomatic approach toward them amid concern that their tensions could spiral out of control. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti also held separate talks with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is supervising the talks. The leaders refused to talk to each other during the last round of meetings in June. Borrell conceded at the time that both men have “different interpretations of the causes and also the facts, consequences and solutions” underlying the tensions.