EU and USA: Kosovo should avoid unilateral actions

2024-02-05 12:40:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

EU and USA: Kosovo should avoid unilateral actions

The Minister of the Interior of Kosovo, Xhelal Sveçla closes the Serbian parallel municipality

The European Union and the United States of America have called on Kosovo to avoid unilateral actions, which could increase tensions. The reaction came after the Kosovar authorities in recent days undertook a series of operations by closing some parallel offices of Serbia that operate in Kosovo, in the function of parallel municipalities. Just over the weekend, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Xelal Sveçla, announced that they have closed the illegal municipalities that served the municipalities of Peja, Istog and Klina.

EU: The sudden closure of offices will have negative effects

The European Union reacted to these actions, saying that "the sudden closure of these offices will have negative effects on the daily life and living conditions of the Serbian community in Kosovo". According to the EU, "this will limit their access in basic social services, given the apparent lack of alternatives at this time". "The status of these structures is expected to be resolved in the dialogue facilitated by the European Union regarding the establishment of the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian Majority. The European Union asks Kosovo to avoid unilateral actions that could increase tensions and address these issues through dialogue in Brussels".

EU and USA: Kosovo should avoid unilateral actions

After the closing of the parallel offices, the German ambassador in Kosovo, Jörn Rohde, reacted in support of the European Union's statement, stressing that "unilateral measures only add fuel to the fire and are the exact opposite of reducing tensions". While the ambassador American in Kosovo, Jeff Hovenier, through a statement to the media, accused the government of Kosovo that, as he said, with "recent actions, it is fueling ethnic tensions in the country", actions which, according to him, "are limiting the support of the United States for Kosovo in the international arena".

"The United States is deeply concerned about recent actions by Kosovo government authorities that have a direct and negative effect on members of ethnic Serbs and other minority communities in Kosovo," said Hovenier, expressing his concern. for "the actions of the Kosovo police for the seizure of Serbian dinars and the vehicle that transported the distribution of social payments from Serbia". On February 1, the Central Bank of Kosovo began to implement its regulation, which clearly defines that the only currency for ready payments in Kosovo is the Euro.

EU and USA: Kosovo should avoid unilateral actions

The international authorities requested that the CBK postpone the decision, but the latter only left open the possibility of a transitional period to resolve the concerns of the Serbian community. CBK says that "channels of communication between the Central Bank of Kosovo and that of Serbia should be opened on this matter", but this has been rejected by the Serbian authorities. The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vu?i?, regarding this decision said that "the decision of the authorities in Kosovo to stop the use of the Serbian dinar is aimed at the ethnic cleansing of the Serbs", while he warned that Serbia will request an "urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council".