Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza on Thursday issued a ban on air, road and rail travel from Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo to Italy due to the COVID crisis, ANSA reported. They have been added to the list of 13 countries considered to be at high risk for coronavirus spread.

The Balkans, one of the poorest regions in Europe with the most fragile medical infrastructure, is bracing against a surge in coronavirus infections, AFP reported.

Scores of arrests were made after a group of violent demonstrators on Friday night again clashed with police in front of the Serbian parliament, and also attacked numerous reporters and anyone filming the scene.

Violence erupted for the second day on Wednesday in Serbia during demonstrations in the capital Belgrade and others cities against the president’s handling of the country’s coronavirus outbreak.

Thousands of protesters tried to storm the parliament building in Belgrade on Tuesday after the Serbian president announced that a coronavirus lockdown will be reintroduced in the Balkan country, news wires reported.

The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo will hold talks in Brussels on 12 July, European Commission spokesman said on Monday cited by news wires. Sunday’s meeting between Kosovo PM Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, which will be the first in this format since November 2018, will be hosted by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Serbia's authorities declared on Friday a state of emergency in Belgrade, and reimposed some restrictions to slow the spread of Covid-19 after a surge of infections in the capital, news wires reported. People will be required to wear masks in indoor public spaces or on public transport, opening hours of clubs and cafes will be shortened, and gatherings will be limited to 100 people indoors or 500 outdoors. The state of emergency comes into effect immediately.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić paid on Friday a one-day official visit to Brussels, where he talked with the highest EU officials about the European perspective of Serbia, Serbia-EU relations, as well as the continuation of the dialogue on normalisation of relations with Pristina. He expressed hopes that the accession negotiations between Serbia and the EU will be completed by 2024, and that it is realistic for Serbia to become an EU member by 2026.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's Progressive Party (SNS) won a partially boycotted, pandemic-delayed parliamentary election on Sunday by a huge margin, newswires reported, citing early results. According to a projection by the agency CESID based on a sample of polling stations, the SNS will have 63.4% of the votes, on a turnout of around 48%.

Serbia’s ruling populists of President Aleksandar Vucic’s party looked set to tighten their hold on power in the parliamentary election on Sunday, news wires reported. The vote is taking place despite the spread of coronavirus in the Balkan country and a partial boycott by the opposition.