A Serbian politician has been gunned down in his hometown of Mitrovica in Kosovo. Unidentified assailants shot Oliver Ivanovic in front of his party headquarters. In the wake of his murder, Belgrade broke off EU-sponsored talks with Kosovo. This halts an effort to normalize ties between Serbia and its former breakaway province. CGTN's Aljosa Milenkovic reports from Belgrade.

It was here that Oliver Ivanovic was shot by the attackers in a moving vehicle. There's heavy police presence now, and forensics personnel is finishing their jobs. Police officers and journalists were in the hospital where doctors tried for 45 minutes to resuscitate Ivanovic, to no avail. Serbia's president addressed the nation from the capital Belgrade.

ALEKSANDAR VUCIC SERBIAN PRESIDENT "For the Serbian state, this is an act of terrorism and we'll address it accordingly. We've sent letters to the EULEX and UNMIK with our request. Not plea, but the request for our authorities' participation in the investigation process on the territory of Kosovo and Metohia. We are convinced that our participation would mean finding out the truth behind the Oliver Ivanovic assassination."

Just a few months ago, Ivanovic's personal car was torched in an arson attack in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica.

ALJOSA MILENKOVIC BELGRADE "I have talked with and interviewed Mr. Ivanovic a number of times over the past 18 years, starting in the year 2000 following the entry of NATO troops into Kosovo. His positions seemed moderate. And he was accepted by the UN and western powers that took over the administration of Kosovo at the time."

Despite his moderate political views, 15 years after the NATO intervention in Kosovo, Ivanovic was arrested for alleged war crimes committed in 1999. In the subsequent trial, he was first sentenced to a prison term.

ROXANA COMSA EULEX JUDGE "Accused Oliver Ivanovic was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment."

But this verdict was later overturned by a higher court ruling.

MILOVAN DRECUN POLITICAL ANALYST AND SERBIAN MP "It is a question what they wanted to achieve with his assassination. We can't rule out that someone had been planning this for a long time and wanted to delay the process of the normalization of relations, currently being held in Brussels, as well as postpone the creation of a Serbian municipalities association in Kosovo."

Kosovo declared its independence after the NATO bombardment of Serbia back in 1999. It is supported by the US and the EU. Half of the world's nations refuse to accept Kosovo's secession, including Russia, China, and India. ALJOSA MILENKOVIC CGTN, BELGRADE.