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A change of approach to Kosovo and Serbia is required

2023-08-07 15:41:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

A change of approach to Kosovo and Serbia is required

Illustrative photo

European and American politicians demand a change of approach towards Kosovo and Serbia and not towards one party. British MP Alicia Kearns calls for preventive diplomacy that avoids escalation.

Member of the British parliament, Alicia Kearns, published a letter in which it is emphasized that dozens of politicians from Europe and the United States of America have addressed high officials of the European Union and Washington and demand that their approach to Kosovo be changed. and Serbia. In a post on Twitter, (07.08) Alicia Kearns wrote that a letter has been sent to the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, and the British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, this letter signed by ten chairmen of the committees for foreign affairs and 56 deputies. It addresses the tensions of the last few months in the north of Kosovo inhabited by a majority of Serbs and through it by the European Union and Washington.

"Kosovo has faced major consequences after the attempts of the presidents to enter their offices in the north of Kosovo. Kosovo must coordinate with KFOR in the future to prevent escalations. However, the lack of pressure on Serbia after the arbitrary ban of the three policemen of Kosovo and the failure to hold accountable those who carried out attacks against KFOR highlight the lack of equality in addressing tensions" , the letter states.

Measures against Kosovo

Kosovo was punished with a series of measures by the European Union after it was asked to withdraw Albanian mayors from municipalities with a Serbian majority, withdraw special units from municipal assembly buildings and hold new elections in the four northern municipalities, Zveçan, Zubin Potok, Leposaviq and North of Mitrovica. The government of Kosovo was accused by the international community of lack of coordination for its actions in the north. Local Serbs organized protests, which culminated in clashes and injuries to dozens of protesters and soldiers of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR.

In the letter published by the British MP, Alicia Kearns, it is said that the international community should not side with Belgrade, but should work on preventive diplomacy to avoid escalation. "The current approach is not working. We ask the international community to learn from our past and ensure that we do not adopt policies for the Balkans that are biased towards Belgrade. We also ask you to consider adopting a policy of preventive diplomacy to avoid further escalation of the security and political situation in the north of Kosovo, with balance and proportionality in every statement and every punishment or sanction that is undertaken, and that those who respect the rule of law and democracy are not punished " , says the letter.

Kosovo will not undertake actions that escalate the situation

After the punitive measures of the European Union against Kosovo due to the situation in the north, the government of Kosovo has agreed with the EU plan for the extension of the situation in the north, which among the most important foresees the holding of new elections in that part.The Government of Kosovo has publicly declared "its readiness to commit to the escalation of the situation and that it will not undertake any action that could escalate the situation in the north of Kosovo". This also includes an immediate reduction by 25% of the police presence in and around municipal buildings. "The Government of Kosovo makes a public statement to support the holding of early elections in the 4 northern municipalities, after the summer" and that "Kosovo is committed to providing the necessary legal basis to enable the organization of elections in the north". And precisely for the elections in the north which were massively boycotted by the local Serbs, in the letter of the European and American politicians, it is said that "Kosovo is an independent state and the efforts to hinder the democratic elections in Kosovo by Serbia,should be publicly criticized as interference from outside".

Meanwhile, the government of Kosovo has started the work to ensure the legal basis for holding new early elections in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, Zve?an, Leposaviq, Zubin Potok and North Mitrovica. In this way, according to the Minister of Local Government, Elbert Krasniqi, the working group has one month to draft a document that would enable the citizens of the municipalities in the north to dismiss the current mayors through a petition of citizens registered with the right to vote in respective municipalities./DW