“What is happening is absolutely unacceptable and irresponsible,” Meloni said.
“We will not tolerate further attacks,” she continued, calling on all parties involved to take “an immediate step back in order to contribute to the easing of tensions”.
“The Italian government is totally committed to peace and stability in the Western Balkans is maximum and we will continue to work with our allies,” Meloni concluded.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister and Deputy Premier Antonio Tajani has called Serbian President Aleksandr Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to demand an immediate end to “all violence and provocation”.
“Kosovo and Serbia must fully implement the agreements they have signed through the facilitation of the European Union.
“Violence is unacceptable. Italy wants to contribute to reach a sustainable solution in northern Kosovo very soon,” he said.
The KFOR peacekeeping troops were injured on Monday in clashes with Serb protesters trying to prevent ethnic Albanian mayors, elected on April 26 in an election overwhelmingly boycotted by Serbs, from taking office.
Some of the Italians injured were hit by Molotov cocktails while others suffered fractures, KFOR said.
Three Italian nationals were said to be in a “serious but not life-threatening condition”, official sources said.
NATO will send 700 more troops to northern Kosovo to help quell the violent protests, the alliance announced Tuesday.
The latest violence in the region has stirred fear of a renewal of the 1998-99 conflict in Kosovo that claimed more than 10,000 lives, left more than a million people homeless and resulted in a NATO peacekeeping mission that has lasted two decades.
ANSA
