Pristina "wants to contribute to prevent escalation" - PM

Pristina "wants to contribute to prevent escalation" - PM

LJUBLJANA, PRISTINA -- Pristina is interested "in the firm cooperation between the police forces of Kosovo and Macedonia," Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa has said.

The goal of this cooperation would be "to clarify the circumstances that have led to the unacceptable and unjustifiable situation," AFP quoted him as saying.

Mustafa made the comments in Slovenia on Tuesday, after the clashes in Macedonia last weekend that killed eight police officers and 14 terrorists said to have been ethnic Albanians who came from Kosovo.

"We will contribute to preventing any escalation. There is no reason for the violence to spill over and endanger the Balkans or Europe," Mustafa stressed, and added that it was "necessary that those resposible are brought to justice, while Kosovo will act to calm the situation so that the violence does not spread to the region."

On Monday, he and Kosovo's President Atifete Jahjaga issued a joint statement condemning "any involvement" of citizens from Kosovo in the deadly fighting in Kumanovo.

The statement expressed their deep concern and condemned any involvement "of the citizens of Kosovo in the incident in Macedonia."

Speaking on Tuesday in Pristina, President of the Kosovo Assembly Kadri Veseli said that "Macedonia's problems are not Kosovo's problems," and that Kosovo "respects the sovereignty of the neighboring state."

Veseli also offered his condolences "to the families of those killed in Macedonia."

The Albanian language daily Koha Ditore reported on Tuesday, quoting its sources from the Kosovo government, that a joint session of the governments of Kosovo and Macedonia, planned for May, "will likely be...