United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said one of the challenges faced by the international community in Kosovo is the situation in the northern part of the province.

Old issues, relating not only to northern Mitrovica, but including the northern part, probably represent the most important challenges facing the international community in Kosovo today.

However, they cannot be solved outside the context of other issues related to Kosovo and the region, Ban said in an interview for the portal Preseva jone (Our Presevo).

The UN Secretary-General expects, based on the positions of the communities in Kosovo, that the sensitive issues can be resolved peacefully.

While divisions in the international community regarding Kosovo's status still affect the efforts of the UN and other international actors, we must continue to work together to encourage all sides to show patience and engage in good faith in dialogue, in order to find suitable solutions which can ensure durable peace in the region, said the UN Secretary-General.

He reiterated that the north is a historic and political issue which has been the cause of a years-long conflict, but it needs to be solved through dialogue.