Kosovo President Says Violent Protests Unjustified

President Atifete Jahjaga on Thursday condemned the unrest at the previous day's protests, which saw stone-throwing demonstrators clash with riot police and burn cars in the Kosovo capital Pristina.

"Violence against police and the vandalism of private and public property cannot be justified in any situation. Peace and order should be reinstated and the capital should return to normality," Jahjaga said.

"Kosovo's citizens cannot be hostages of the abnormal situation that is prevailing in our country," she added.

The embassies of France, Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States in Pristina also issued a joint statement on Thursday condemning the use of violence to achieve political goals.

"We appeal for respect for the rule of law, democratic procedures, and international norms. Political violence is unacceptable and harms the interests of the citizens of Kosovo and Kosovo's international position. It does not benefit anyone," the statement said.

The clashes broke out during protests sparked by the arrest on Wednesday of Donika Kadaj Bujupi, an MP from the opposition Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, who is accused of setting off tear gas in parliament. Warrants were also issued for other opposition MPs' arrests.

Kosovo's three main opposition parties, Vetevendosje, the AAK, and the Initiative for Kosovo, Nisma, said Bujupi's arrest was politically motivated.

All three have been blocking the work of parliament since early October, demanding that the Pristina government scrap its recent EU-mediated agreement with Belgrade, which they say will give Kosovo Serbs too much power.

Opposition MPs have set off tear gas several times in parliament in recent weeks in protest against the agreement.

The OSCE...