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EU: Status of Serbian educational and health institutions in Kosovo to be resolved in Brussels dialogue

2026-02-18 15:59:17, Kosova & Bota CNA

EU: Status of Serbian educational and health institutions in Kosovo to be

The status of the health and education structures and services that Serbia supports in Kosovo will be resolved within the framework of the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, in accordance with the agreements reached and the laws in force in Kosovo, a European Union spokesperson said in a response to Radio Free Europe.

"Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has pledged to address the integration of health and education structures supported by Serbia, in consultation with Kosovo Serbs and the EU, in particular with the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue ," the spokesperson said.

Health and educational institutions in Serb-majority areas in Kosovo operate under the Serbian system and are almost the only ones that the Kosovo authorities have not closed. Since the beginning of this year, the issue of integrating these institutions into the Kosovo system has been a hot topic.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced on January 16 that the process of integrating Serbian healthcare and education will be carried out in coordination with the European Union, emphasizing that the concerns of non-majority communities will also be taken into account.

However, it has not been specified which integration models are being considered and whether this process will take place within the framework of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities, as Belgrade insists. Radio Free Europe has addressed questions to the Kosovo Government regarding this issue and is awaiting a response.

The parties agreed on the Association in 2013 and it is also mentioned in the Agreement on the Path to Normalization of Relations, which Kosovo and Serbia accepted in 2023. According to a draft statute drafted by the European Union, the Association would also have to regulate the issue of revenues, namely financing from the Serbian budget.

Meanwhile, the announcement of the start of the integration of educational and health institutions coincides with the start of the implementation of the first phase for the full implementation of the Law on Foreigners, which will last until March 15 and provides for an information period.

The full implementation of this law may affect the functioning of Serbian health and educational institutions, as persons who do not possess Kosovo documents must have a work permit or license to practice the activity, for which the application is submitted to the Kosovo Employment Agency.

In practice, obtaining a work permit or education license can be problematic, as Kosovo does not recognize Serbia's institutions, which it considers parallel and illegal. /REL