Serbs in Kosovo's ethnically divided city of Mitrovica Sunday tore down a controversial wall that ethnic Albanians say aggravated an already tense situation.

Bulldozers quietly knocked down the 2-meter concrete barrier after talks between the ethnic Albanians and the city's Serb minority, mediated by the European Union and U.S. diplomats.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the agreement shows both sides were "demonstrating courage and vision by taking down walls and focusing on building bridges."

Serbs in northern Mitrovica built the wall in December, saying they needed to shore up the land near a bridge across the Ibar river.

The city's ethnic Albanians regarded the wall as a provocation, especially because Serbia sent a train with the words "Kosovo is Serbia" painted on the side to Kosovo last month. Border guards stopped the train.

Tension between Serbs and ethnic Albanians in Mitrovica have been simmering since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

Serbia does not recognize an independent Kosovo. The European Union has said both countries must normalize relations if either plans on joining the EU.</s>PRISTINA, Kosovo -- A concrete wall in the northern Kosovo city of Mitrovica that had provoked tensions between Kosovo and neighboring Serbia has been pulled down.

The move followed an agreement between the government and the country's ethnic Serb minority, facilitated by the European Union and the United States embassy.

The wall's destruction by two excavators on Sunday was not accompanied by any protests or disturbances. However, police forces were on high alert.

Other than journalists, only a few people watched as bulldozers tore down the wall.

"We did not enter into a show of force or demonstrate populism," said Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, also thanking Mitrovica citizens. "The best democratic methods prevailed."

The head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Nataliya Apostolova, hailed the agreement.

The border tensions started with the wall in December and increased in January, when a Serbian nationalist train was stopped at the border.

Ethnic Serbs in northern Mitrovica, where most of the Serb minority in Kosovo lives, erected the 2-yard tall and 55-yard long wall, calling it a barrier against a landslide.

The Kosovo government saw it as a provocation, and parliament voted to pull it down.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia has not recognized it as a separate country, seeking to maintain influence in northern Kosovo where most of the Serb minority lives.

Information for this article was contributed by Llazar Semini of The Associated Press.</s>Ethnic Serbs in the northern Kosovo city of Mitrovica used bulldozers to knock down a wall that divided the city and raised tensions between Kosovo and Serbia in recent days.

The action on February 5 came after an agreement between the Kosovar government and the country’s ethnic Serbian minority, aided by the U.S. Embassy and the European Union.

Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa had threatened the local Serbs that if they did not take down the wall, his government would.

No details were immediately available on the terms of any agreement that might have been reached.

The activity was monitored by Italian Carabinieri guarding the area as part of the NATO peacekeeping force stationed in Kosovo.

The Serbs began building the wall in December.

They said it was to protect a riverside promenade from landslide, but the government in Pristina said it was an attempt to further divide the city along ethnic lines.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia has not recognized it as a separate country.

The United States and most Western nations are among 114 countries that recognize Kosovo's independence. Russia does not recognize Kosovo as independent.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters</s>The Kosovo government says it's reached a deal with the country's ethnic Serb minority to resolve the issue of a concrete wall erected in the northern city of Mitrovica that has provoked tensions between Kosovo and neighboring Serbia.

A statement Saturday said the "solution will lower the tensions in northern Kosovo" but did not specify what it was or how it would ease tensions. It said the resolution was facilitated by the European Union and the United States embassy.

Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia flared up with the wall in December and have escalated with later incidents, including the exchange of military threats.

Kosovo is a former Serbian province with nearly 1.8 million people, over 90 percent of whom were Kosovar Albanians. Kosovar Serbs are the country's biggest ethnic minority with a population numbering around 100,000.

It declared independence on Feb. 17, 2008, and is recognized by over 100 countries, including the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany and Turkey.

Serbia, Russia and China are among countries that have not recognized Kosovo's independence.</s>There are 1 comment on the PanArmenian Network story from 1 hr ago, titled Serbs tear down contested wall in Kosovo. In it, PanArmenian Network reports that:

PanARMENIAN.Net - Serbs in the northern Kosovo town of Mitrovica on Sunday, February 5 began tearing down a concrete wall on the banks of the Ibar river that had drawn the ire of the Kosovar authorities, AFP reports. The mayor of the city's Serb-dominated northern sector, Goran Rakic , had said the barrier was built last month to protect a new pedestrian zone near a bridge that connects to the southern zone, home to most of the city's ethnic Albanian population.

Join the discussion below, or Read more at PanArmenian Network.</s>A concrete wall erected in the northern Kosovo city of Mitrovica that has provoked tensions between Kosovo and neighboring Serbia has been pulled down.

The move followed an agreement between the government and the country's ethnic Serb minority, facilitated by the European Union and the United States embassy.

The wall's destruction by two excavators on Sunday was not accompanied by any incidents. Police forces were on high alert.

The border tensions started with the wall in December and increased other incidents in January, including a Serbian nationalist train that was stopped at the border.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia has not recognized it as a separate country, seeking to maintain influence in northern Kosovo where most of the Serb minority lives.</s>Kosovo and its Serb minority reach deal on contested wall

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — The Kosovo government says it's reached a deal with the country's ethnic Serb minority to resolve the issue of a concrete wall erected in the northern city of Mitrovica that has provoked tensions between Kosovo and neighboring Serbia.

A statement Saturday said the "solution will lower the tensions in northern Kosovo" but did not specify what it was or how it would ease tensions. It said the resolution was facilitated by the European Union and the United States embassy.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia has not recognized it as a separate country, seeking to maintain influence in northern Kosovo where most of the Serb minority lives. Tensions between the two Balkan nations started with the wall in December and have escalated with later incidents.</s>MITROVICA, Kosovo: Local Serbs in Kosovo used bulldozers on Sunday to demolish a wall they built in the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica, following weeks of tension over the issue between Kosovo and Serbia.

The Serbs, who do not recognise Kosovo as a state, started constructing the wall in December, saying it was to protect against a landslip, but the Pristina government said the structure was an attempt to further divide the city along ethnic lines and should be destroyed.

Tensions have grown in recent weeks because of the wall and a train sent by Serbia carrying the slogan "Kosovo is Serbia" which was stopped by Kosovo border police.

Kosovo, backed by the U.S. and major western European states, declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Belgrade considers it part of its territory and supports the Serb minority.

Serbia's president has accused the authorities in Pristina of wanting to start a war, while his Kosovo counterpart has accused Serbia of potentially using the example of Russia in Crimea to annex the northern part of Kosovo.

"Shame on them. They could have built three houses with this money," one man, Jovo Ilic, said, watching two bulldozers destroying the wall.

Italian Carabinieri were guarding the area as part of the NATO mission that still has a force stationed in Kosovo to keep the fragile peace.

The deal to destroy the two-metre tall concrete wall was reached following EU-mediated talks between the government in Pristina and Serb representatives. Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa had threatened local Serbs that if they did not take down the wall, his government would do it.

Visiting the demolition site the European Union representative in Kosovo, Nataliya Apostolova, said: "I can assure (you) there will no walls here ... this shows that both parties can reach a deal when there is a political will."

Kosovo Albanians make up more than 90 percent of Kosovo's 1.8 million population. Northern Kosovo is home to a Serb minority of around 40,000 to 50,000 people.</s>Wall goes up around US at miniature world in Germany

BERLIN — A wall has appeared around the United States — at a popular miniature world attraction in the German city of Hamburg.

 Operators of the Miniatur Wunderland erected the wall complete with barbed wire this week, separating the U.S. display from the rest of the world.

The site is one of Hamburg's most popular tourist attractions, featuring a vast indoor model railway stretching across two floors.

Co-founder Gerrit Braun said Thursday the idea for the wall arose after staff discussed whether the U.S. display needed changing to reflect "current developments."

Braun said the wall wasn't meant to represent President Donald Trump's promised concrete barrier along the border with Mexico. Instead, it was intended to encourage visitors to think about what happens "when we build ideological walls around our countries."</s>Donald Trump's planned border wall between the United States and Mexico might not be all that visible, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said.

Trump had previously said he'd build a 'big, beautiful wall' for which Mexico would then pay - but it appears the actual wall may leave more up to the imagination.

Instead, the wall could use electronic surveillance methods to create a sort of virtual wall.

Kelly told Fox News: 'Any discussion about the protection of our southwest border involves discussion of physical barriers but also of technological sensors.'

Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge elaborated: 'There will be the physical wall and then parts of the wall that you can actually see through because it will rely on sensors and other technology.'

Kelly said the wall would be built 'where it's needed first' before expanding to something that may not end up resembling Trump's plan for a great wall along the nearly-2,000 mile land border between the US and Mexico.

He hopes to complete it in two years and claims funding will come 'relatively quickly.'

It is not yet clear how the wall might be funded.

Much of the barrier between the United States and Mexico already has a mixture of walls along urban areas and other heavily-trafficked regions and 'virtual fences' along more remote stretches, the Independent reported.
Following diplomatic mediation by the European Union and the United States, minority Serbs tear down a concrete wall in Mitrovica. The city's majority Albanians regarded the wall as a provocation.