German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will start a tour of the Balkans, as the situation in the region is tense after the Serbian terrorist attack in the north of Kosovo.
"Baerbock will talk with the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo and will continue to ask both sides to de-escalate the conflict on the sidelines of a meeting to be held in Albania of foreign ministers from the Western Balkans," said Wednesday a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry.
The meeting of leaders in Albania is part of the "Berlin Process", which began in 2014 to promote cooperation between the six countries of the Western Balkans.
The latest crisis between Kosovo and Serbia was sparked after Serbian paramilitaries attacked police in northern Kosovo, killing an officer. The attack led to an exchange of fire at an Orthodox monastery occupied by a heavily armed Serbian group.
Belgrade then deployed Serbian troops to positions near the border, but reportedly withdrew them after intense international pressure.
Baerbock's spokesman said the situation in the region is "undoubtedly worrying".
"Serbia has the duty to call unequivocally for the renunciation of violence", he said.
Initial signs that Serbia has reduced the number of troops near the border are an important first step, he said, but further steps toward de-escalation must now be taken.