Hovenier: It is difficult to say whether we are close to de-escalating the situation in the north

2023-07-11 19:55:32, Kosova & Bota CNA

Hovenier: It is difficult to say whether we are close to de-escalating the

The American ambassador in Pristina, Jeff Hovenier

The American ambassador in Pristina, Jeff Hovenier, said on Tuesday that he cannot say whether the situation in the north of Kosovo is close to de-escalation, while he reiterated the calls for the reduction of tensions and the need for the coordination of the government with the western allies in the face of the situation in the northern municipalities inhabited by Serbian majority.

On Monday, the Special Envoy of the European Union for the Kosovo-Serbia talks, Miroslav Lajçak, said and the chief negotiator of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, said that they have agreed on the first steps towards the escalation of the situation, but without giving more details. Even on Tuesday, the parties did not provide any information about this reconciliation.

Tensions increased at the end of May when the Albanian mayors of the northern municipalities of Kosovo took office with the support of the police, after the April local elections which were boycotted by the Serbs, who demand the implementation of an agreement mediated by the European Union to a lot of self-governance.

Western diplomacy seeks to reduce tensions through the suspension of police operations in the north, the relocation of mayors to alternative offices and the announcement of early elections with the unconditional participation of Kosovo Serbs.

During an event in the city of Peja, about 80 kilometers from Pristina, the American ambassador said that reducing tensions is an urgent matter.

"The United States remains as committed as it has been to seeing Kosovo achieve its goals. What I mean by this is that we strongly stand behind a sovereign, independent, democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo that takes its place in the Euro-Atlantic structures. We work hard to achieve this goal. This undoubtedly means that Kosovo asserts its sovereignty. The north is complicated and difficult so the way the governments in Kosovo manage the situation there is something very fragile for which we require close coordination with the international community", said Ambassador Hoveiner.

He emphasized that the extension would enable the commitment to return to the implementation of the Ohrid agreement.

"This means that we want to avoid new tensions or crises that hinder our efforts to see the implementation of this agreement of high strategic importance for the benefit of the citizens of Kosovo as well as regional security," he said.

Although the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia have pledged to de-escalate the situation, there are still no concrete steps to implement Western demands.

The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, on Tuesday once again expressed the alliance's concern about the tense situation in Kosovo. He made these comments at a press conference shortly before the start of the NATO summit in Vilnius, when asked if he is ready to meet with Serbian President Aleksander Vucic.

"I am in regular contact with Serbian President Aleksander Vu?i? and I am definitely ready to meet him. We are concerned about the increase in tensions in Kosovo and call on all parties to refrain from any action that could increase tensions in the region even more," said Mr. Stoltenberg.

Last week, Serbian President Vucic warned that he would seek a meeting with Secretary Stoltenberg, before requesting an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council.

He accused Kosovo of what he called "silent ethnic cleansing" of Serbs, hinting that Serbia could then take unspecified "actions" to stop what he described as a "persecution" of Serbs in Kosovo.

Meanwhile, Prishtina accuses Belgrade of intimidating Kosovo Serbs and encouraging criminal groups in the north, while it has pledged to take steps to organize new elections in the four northern municipalities.

The increase in tensions has also increased concerns about renewed conflicts in the region, at a time when the European continent is facing the consequences of Russian aggression in Ukraine./ VOA