In order to solve the latest crisis in the north, the highest representatives of Kosovo’s Western partners reiterated their demands to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti: to urgently de-escalate the crisis in the north and then proceed with the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement and to form the ASM.
De-escalation involves the withdrawal of police forces from municipal buildings in Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok, so that the mayors continue to carry out their, as they said „administrative“ mandate from alternate locations, and to call local elections with the guaranteed participation of Srpska Lista.
The US special envoy and the European mediator for the Western Balkans and the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Gabriel Escobar and Miroslav Lajcak, have ended their two-day visit to Pristina. They headed to Belgrade visibly disappointed with the outcome of their conversation with the Kosovo PM, Albin Kurti.
After numerous meetings with top officials, the Prime Minister, the President, the opposition, Srpska Lista, civil society representatives, and the media, Escobar and Lajcak confirmed that they failed to get a positive response from the Kosovo PM to the demands they have been repeating since last Friday.
Their concerns increased after local Serbs clashed with KFOR last Monday. During the incident, over 80 KFOR soldiers and Serbs were injured.
Before the conflict, Kurti, ignoring repeated warnings from the international community, ordered special police units to occupy three municipal buildings in the north on May 26th.
The international side described this move as a „unilateral“ and „provocative“ act.
The Kosovo authorities, however, lay blame on the Serbian side, using the phrase „fascist militia“ to describe protestors. On June 2, the PM even publicy revealed the names of Serbs he considers to be criminals.
In addition to expressing his readiness for elections, Kurti now emphasized that he is ready to consider the gradual withdrawal of police units from these buildings, but only if the „fascist militia“ is either prosecuted or „returned to Serbia“.
In the meantime, a campaign was launched from Pristina with the message that the sole culprit for the crisis in the north is Serbia, as Putin’s ally.
When asked by KoSSev’s editor during today’s press conference to comment and say whether he agrees with these messages, Escobar replied:
“No, I don’t agree with that. I think Russia has taken advantage of it, Russia benefits from it, but Russia is not directing this. Let’s be honest, this is a failure of political leadership on both sides to move forward on interethnic reconciliation. Full stop.“
According to him, the international community “has all the best will, goodwill in the world, to get Serbia and Kosovo to a good place.”
“Not necessarily friendly, but a peaceful relationship between them, a normalized relationship to them, one that brings them closer to Europe. That’s what we want.”
Read more:
Escobar in Pristina: If you turn your back on this agreement, you’ve turned your back on Europe
Escobar: The international community is not going to let another conflict happen again
Escobar: The ASM is a way to unwind Serbia’s control of the north
Escobar: Whenever we talk to Kurti and Bislimi, they only want to talk about Serbia
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