The United Kingdom expresses concern over the closure of institutions in the north

2025-05-29 20:03:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The United Kingdom expresses concern over the closure of institutions in the

The United Kingdom's Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Neil Holland, has expressed concern about the closure of buildings and institutions in northern Kosovo that operated under the Serbian system.

According to a notice published on the British Government's website regarding the report of the head of the OSCE mission in Kosovo for the last six months, Hollande also said that it is urgent for Kosovo to form a new government, following the February elections that he said were held peacefully.

“We are particularly concerned by the uncoordinated nature of the closure of institutions and buildings in northern Kosovo that provide vital services to Kosovo Serbs and other non-majority communities. The UK continues to encourage the Kosovo Government to ensure that non-majority communities can play an equal role in the future of the state and to respect Kosovo’s commitments as an inclusive and multi-ethnic state,” he said.

Kosovo began closing Serbian institutions in early 2024. Initially, the temporary municipal bodies, the Postal Savings Bank, the Post of Serbia, the Pension and Health Insurance Fund, social work centers, public enterprises, and similar institutions were closed.

The latest wave of closures of institutions operating in the Serbian system also includes sports halls, city libraries, the city museum in North Mitrovica, the Institute for Culture, Youth, Sports and Specialized Services, and the Cultural and Artistic Society "Kosovski Bozhur".

Ambassador Holland also spoke about the violence in northern Kosovo, mentioning the attacks on KFOR members on May 29, 2023 in Zveçan and the armed attack by a group of Serbs against the Kosovo Police in Banjska in September of that same year.

"We continue to call on Serbia to fully cooperate in efforts to hold all those responsible for the attack on KFOR members and in Banjska accountable and to fulfill its commitment to cooperate in the investigation into the attack on the Iber Lepenc canal."

Kosovo has blamed Serbia for the attack in Banjska and Ibër-Lepenc, but Belgrade has denied responsibility.

The British Ambassador also urged that Kosovo and Serbia engage in the European Union-mediated dialogue and implement obligations, including the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities.

Kosovo and Serbia have been conducting normalization dialogue since 2011. The parties have reached a number of agreements, but the EU has said few of them have been implemented. The parties have also not held a dialogue at the political level since September 2023, after the attack in Banjska./ Rel