Kosovo closes two Serbian public enterprises in the north

2024-12-26 12:47:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Two public enterprises, which operated in the Serbian system in North Mitrovica - the Directorate for Residential and Business Space and the Directorate for Building Land - were closed on December 26.

The deputy director of the Kosovo Police for the northern region, Veton Elshani, told Radio Free Europe that the local authorities asked for help to "free some offices".

The offices of these two enterprises were located in a residential building in North Mitrovica and at the moment it is not known in whose name these premises are, where these enterprises have operated.

Elshani emphasized that the competent prosecutor was also contacted, as it was established that "illegal and parallel structures" work in these premises.

He said that a case has been initiated for "falsification of documents" and that the building where these offices of Serbian public enterprises were located will be under the supervision of the Police until "the case is resolved".

After the closure of the offices of two Serbian companies, the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia reacted by saying that the institutions of Serbia in the north are "being usurped" and that these steps are "contrary to the agreements".

"Around 70 employees of these institutions have been legitimized and then ordered to leave the offices, as they were told that they have nothing to look for there", said this office through a reaction to the media.

She called on the international community in Kosovo to take immediate measures and "prevent the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, from causing conflicts".

Meanwhile, Lista Serbe, the largest party of Serbs in Kosovo, announced that the "entry" of the Kosovo authorities into the Serbian enterprises will not put the 70 employees at risk, and that they will continue to receive their salaries.

Kosovo's institutions that operate in the Serbian system are considered illegal, and for this reason, their closure began at the beginning of the year.

Until now, some temporary municipal bodies have been closed, the Post of Serbia in northern Kosovo, the Postal Savings Bank, the Institute for Pension and Invalidity Insurance in North Mitrovica, the vault of the People's Bank of Serbia in Leposavic, as well as some municipal companies.

Likewise, Kosovo has banned the use of the Serbian dinar, which has made it difficult to pay salaries for members of the Serbian community who receive salaries from the Serbian budget.

The Government of Kosovo has said that it has taken these steps to extend sovereignty, but it has been criticized by the international community, which demands that these issues be resolved within the framework of the Brussels dialogue, in order to avoid increasing tensions on the ground.

On the other hand, Serbia refuses to close its institutions in the territory of Kosovo and has moved most of them near the border points on the Serbian side./ REL