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Kosovo government confirms closure of five parallel Serb municipalities in north

2024-08-30 19:28:11Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Kosovo government confirms closure of five parallel Serb municipalities in north
Policia Kosovë

Kosovo authorities closed five serbian municipalities in the north of the country on Friday , a majority-Serb part, Kosovo's Minister of Local Government Management Elbert Krasniqi said.

He said that parallel Serbian municipalities have functioned under Serbia's leadership, "under the constitution and laws of the Republic of Kosovo".

"The institutions of the Republic of Kosovo provide services to all citizens, indiscriminately. They are the right address for all the requirements and needs of our citizens. We are committed to as many high quality services as possible", said Krasniqi.

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic has called for an "urgent and tougher response" from the international community.

Vucevic said Serbia had sent a clear message that it "strongly advocates for peace and stability" in the region, but that it "will not allow violence and massacre against its own people," a serbian government statement said.

Minister Krasniqi indicated that the closed municipalities are the District of Mitrovica of Kosovo, the parallel municipality of Mitrovica, the parallel municipality of Zvecan, the parallel municipality of Zubin Potak and the parallel Municipality of Leposavić.

Deputy Director of Kosovo Police for the northern region, Veton Elshani, confirmed to Radio Free Europe that special units conducted an action in the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north. The action was carried out at two locations in North Mitrovica, as well as at a location in Zubin Potok and another in Leposavic.

Police also conducted an action at the hospital, in the laundry section, after reports that there may be weapons, according to him.

Petar Petkovic, director of the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, said the closure of Serbian institutions in northern Kosovo would have "broad consequences in normalizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina."

"Albin Kurti has started to close all Serbian institutions in the north of the province, which are not parallel institutions, but institutions that should be the basis for the formation of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities," Petkovic said.

He added that the closed institutions have provided Serbs in Kosovo with "a minimum of public and existential services such as social benefits through salaries and pensions".

Earlier, Kosovo Police said that, at the request of the Ministry of Administration and Local Government, it conducted a police operation in four municipalities in northern Kosovo.

"The purpose of the police operation is to establish order and legality and to interrupt activities in five facilities, which have been used in the capacity of illegal municipalities, which are contrary to the constitutional legal order," the police said.

This year, earlier, Kosovo authorities closed seven other parallel Serb municipalities in other parts of the country such as Prizren, Peja, Suhareka, Istog, Klina, Rahovec and Dragash.

Friday's action in the north was taken at a time when the Kosovo government has been criticized by the international community for its "unilateral and uncoordinated" actions, after last month shutting down several branches of Serbia's Post office in the north and saying it aimed to open the main bridge over the Ibar River, which divides Ethnic Albanian-majority Mitrovica in the south and Serb-majority in the north.

French President Emmanuel Macron said a day earlier in Belgrade that European partners were concerned with "Kosovo's unilateral moves".

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti responded to him on Friday by saying his government is establishing rule of law and public order, as well as ensuring peace and security for all Kosovo citizens - without distinction.

Kosovo's government has repeatedly said it is trying to establish order and law, especially in The Serb-majority north of Kosovo, by quelling Serbian parallel institutions.

The four Serb-majority municipalities in the north, North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok, have been run by Albanian mayors since May last year, when they received the mandate from local elections boycotted by the Serb majority population.

Local Serbs – although they participated in the petition for dismissal of the mayors – they boycotted the process later, following the call of Lista Srpska, kosovo's largest party of Serbs, which enjoys the support of official Belgrade.

In Kosovo, there are municipalities, public companies and enterprises, nurseries, primary, secondary schools and public universities that are directly funded by the Government of Serbia, and which are located in the towns and settlements where the Serbian community lives.

These institutions under kosovo law are illegal.

In 2013, Kosovo and Serbia in the dialogue on normalization of relations in Brussels reached an agreement on the extinguishment of parallel institutions, but still this agreement has not been fully implemented.

Serbia, in the 2024 budget, has increased funding for the work of parallel institutions in Kosovo, improving the lives of citizens, information, but also for support for clerics and monks in Kosovo. It also supports the work of the University of Prishtina based in North Mitrovica and invests in environmental projects. /REL


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