U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday emphasized the importance of dialogue and engagement across southeastern Europe, highlighting the importance of the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. “One overriding theme of my visit is the importance of dialogue and mutual respect across the region," Ban told reporters as he arrived in the Kosovo capital of Pristina. “I have emphasized, to all the leaders I am meeting, the crucial importance of taking further steps for greater understanding." “I bring the same message to Kosovo's leaders, and to the people of Kosovo, who I know have suffered from conflict and who yearn for a peaceful, prosperous future," the secretary-general said. “In particular, I expect strong efforts toward the normalization of relations with Belgrade, including through the same serious and sincere commitment to dialogue which I have asked from the Serbian leadership," Ban said. Ban expressed concern about the situation in northern Kosovo-the flashpoint between the Kosovo Albanian and Kosovo Serbian communities-and the escalation of tension there over the past year. Over the past week, the U.N. chief has visited Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Serbia, all parts of the former Yugoslavia.
