EU President Voices Concern Over Kosovo Violence

President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy (file photo)

EU President Herman Van Rompuy has voiced concern about the apparent escalation of violence in northern Kosovo.

Van Rompuy, who is on a tour of former Yugoslavia, was speaking on July 5 after an unidentified gunman shot and wounded an ethnic Serbian member of Kosovo's parliament.

Petar Miletic was shot outside his home in the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica. Miletic is one of 10 Serbian deputies in the 120-seat parliament.

The attack came after one person was killed and several injured in an explosion during a Serbian protest rally in Mitrovica on July 2.

Van Rompuy is due to arrive on a visit to Kosovo today.

Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

compiled from agency reports