Albanian PM's Visit To Serbia Postponed After Soccer Brawl

A planned historic visit by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to Serbia has been postponed for next month after political tensions soared following a brawl at a soccer match between the two countries.

A statement issued by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic's office on October 19 said the two leaders will meet on November 10 instead of October 22.

"The two prime ministers agreed that they must and will not let go of the opportunity to meet and work for regional stability and to turn a new page regarding the political and economic relations between the two countries," the statement said.

It will be the first trip by an Albanian premier to Belgrade in 68 years.

The Euro 2016 qualifying match on October 15 was suspended after a drone carrying an Albanian nationalist flag ignited clashes between players and fans, fuelling ethnic and political unrest.

A UEFA qualifying match for the Euro 2016 football tournament was suspended on October 14 after fighting broke out between players, team officials, and fans at Partizan stadium in Belgrade. Tensions were high before the match, which marked the Albanian squad's first trip to Belgrade since the 1960s and Serbian nerves still raw over the sovereignty of Kosovo, the majority ethnic Albanian region of the former Yugoslavia that declared independence from Serbia in 2008. No Albanian fans were allowed to attend the match, in an effort to ensure safety. The sports European governing body said it would investigate, and the incident could lead to serious repercussions. Here's what happened:

Based on reporting by AP and AFP