Serbian human rights advocate Sonja Biserko and politician Nenad Čanak have alleged that the Serbian government is planning to relocate Serbs from northern Kosovo to the Raška region in Serbia. This claim was raised during a meeting with Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, as announced by the Kosovo government yesterday.
However, in the initial statement from the Kosovo government, it was reported that Prime Minister Kurti was informed of this issue by Professor Mark Baskin, who was accompanied by two other guests from Serbia.
Baskin, a senior advisor and professor affiliated with the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, soon clarified his role following the government’s statement. He corrected the description of his position, which had incorrectly identified him as the director of the center, and emphasized that he had not made any statements about the alleged relocation.
„I was present, but I didn’t say that. I heard and listened when Mr. Čanak and Ms. Biserko were talking about it, but I didn’t say anything about it,“ Mark Baskin explained briefly to KoSSev.
According to the Kosovo government’s statement, the discussions centered on the current situation in the Western Balkans, with a particular focus on Kosovo-Serbia relations, the region’s integration into the European Union and NATO, and broader future prospects.
The conversation reportedly included concerns raised by Biserko, Čanak, and Baskin—who has since denied making any such claims—regarding the „potential relocation of Kosovo Serbs to Sandžak“, where houses and apartments are allegedly being constructed to accommodate them.
„Biserko, Čanak, and Baskin informed the Prime Minister during the meeting that there were rumors that official Belgrade is planning to relocate Kosovo Serbs, especially those from the north, to Sandžak, where houses and apartments are reportedly being built for them. They urged Prime Minister Kurti to try to prevent such a scenario,“ the statement said.
However, the government’s statement did not specify Kurti’s response to these concerns.
Instead, it highlighted his reiteration of the importance of democracy, the rule of law, and equality for all citizens of Kosovo, with a special emphasis on the inclusion of the Serbian community in all aspects of the country’s economy and society.
„The Prime Minister informed his guests about the rights enjoyed by non-majority communities in the Republic of Kosovo, as well as the efforts the government is making to increase opportunities for these communities in various areas such as education, employment, and their security,“ the statement added.
Prime Minister Kurti expressed gratitude to his Serbian guests for their commitment to fostering peace, cooperation, and good neighborly relations in the region, which the government described as core European principles embodied in Kosovo.
This meeting took place amid heightened tensions in Kosovo following a wave of criticism from Western officials, NATO, and the European Union over recent uncoordinated actions by the Kosovo government. The U.S. Embassy, in particular, expressed concern about what it described as the government’s ongoing instrumentalization of the Kosovo Police for uncoordinated operations, with a specific focus on the Serbian community’s safety.
Last Friday, in a coordinated operation across the four northern municipalities, Kosovo’s security forces shut down the remaining institutions of the Republic of Serbia, including municipal offices that had been operational until now. This follows a series of closures earlier this year, including Serbian post offices and financial institutions. Additionally, the Kosovo government has banned the use of the Serbian dinar, enforced the re-registration of vehicles from KM (Kosovska Mitrovica) plates to RKS (Republic of Kosovo) plates, invalidated Serbian driver’s licenses, and prohibited the import of Serbian goods.
These actions have further strained the situation, leaving thousands of Serbs in northern Kosovo without their physical workplaces following their earlier withdrawal from Kosovo institutions two years ago.
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