BELGRADE, Serbia

Kosovo has to work closely with the UK on security matters, the Balkan nation's prime minister told a senior British diplomat on Thursday.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti said he and Stuart Peach, the UK's special envoy to the Western Balkans, had discussed the two countries' "great bilateral relations, current issues, and the need to work closely together to increase our cooperation in areas of mutual interest, with a focus on security matters," during their meeting in the capital Pristina.

Kurti highlighted the excellent bilateral relations and importance of the UK's support to Kosovo, especially in the field of security after his meeting with Peach, who had met with President Vjosa Osmani earlier in the day.

Tensions with Serbia

Peach's visit came amid simmering tensions between Kosovo and its larger northern neighbor, Serbia.

Kosovo, predominantly inhabited by Albanians, broke away from Serbia in 1999 and declared independence in 2008. But Serbia has not recognized the move and sees its former province as part of its territory.

Recent tensions have appeared to ease following the removal of barricades blocking the main border crossing between the two Balkan countries.

Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo began erecting the blocks Dec. 10 in protest of a former police officer's arrest.

Earlier, there had been a row about license plates, with the government in Pristina demanding ethnic Serbs surrender Serbian-issued vehicle license plates to replace with plates issued by Kosovo.

The EU, NATO, and US have called for de-escalation, while Serbia has requested to deploy its army and police based on a UN resolution.