Besnik Bislimi and Self-Determination claimed that the fact a delegation comprised of ethnic Serbs met with Miroslav Lajčak in Brussels is proof of an unfair approach and an attitude that they believe is not neutral. At the same time, Pristina claims that the delegation consisted of NGOs from Kosovo which „actively and openly advocate against the integration of Serbs“. Jovana Radosavljević, the director of the New Social Initiative, responded, saying that this is an example of Bislimi’s well-known pressure on civil society and the media.
The EU mediator for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajčak, announced that he met with representatives of the National Convention on the European Union yesterday in Brussels. However, he failed to specify that it was the National Convention of Serbia, nor that there were Serbs from Kosovo in the delegation, a move that triggered a harsh reaction from Pristina officials.
Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Besnik Bislimi reacted, claiming that the delegation that met with Lajčak is mainly made up of Serbian NGOs from Kosovo, which reportedly “actively and openly advocate against the integration of Serbs” into Kosovo institutions.
„Mr. Lajcak should explain to us whether in his narrative, Serb NGO-s from Kosovo are part of NCEU Serbia and whether NCEU Serbia fall under his umbrella. Another strong demonstration of Mr. Lajcak’s ‘fair’ and ‘neutral’ approach to parties in the normalization process,“ said Bislimi.
Self-Determination also reacted in an almost identical tone.
In addition to the representatives from Belgrade, the delegation also includes a smaller group of Serbs from Kosovo: the director of the New Social Initiative, Jovana Radosavljević, the director of Radio and Television Kim, Isak Vorgučić, the director of the NGO „Aktiv“, Miodrag Milićević, and the deputy of the Kosovo Ombudsman, Srđan Sentić.
Sustainable integration and not primarily integration of the territory and dominance of the majority community
The comments of Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi represent an already established pattern of pressure on civil society and the media, Jovana Radosavljević told KoSSev from Brussels.
„Obviously, our understandings of the term ‘integration’ differ,“ she added.
„We understand it in the context of the sustainable integration of people through dialogue, respect for agreements, as well as through the existing mechanisms for the protection of the Serbian community, while the representatives of this government understand it primarily as the integration of territory, not people – ignoring not only the self-government mechanisms of the Kosovo Serbs resulting from the dialogue that concern the ASM, the police and the judiciary, but even ignore the protection mechanisms that are woven into the Constitution of Kosovo, which guarantees multi-ethnic institutions through a system of equal representation of all communities at all levels,“ stated Radosavljević from Brussels.
The government’s vision of integration, Radosavljević explains further, is implemented „as an open act of establishing the dominance of the majority community.“
„On the way, destroying all previous efforts in building a multi-ethnic and civil society in Kosovo based on mutual respect and appreciation,“ she stressed.
„We have been saying for more than two years that we are ready to talk with the government, but only on the condition that it be a public event in front of the media, because we have witnessed that this government only wants closed meetings so that it can politically abuse them in front of the international public, and create a semblance of communication and cooperation with the Serbian community,“ Radosavljević further explained for KoSSev.
The Kosovo government is sending a message that it does not want people who think for themselves, but blind followers
She revealed that at yesterday’s event in the European Parliament, she had the opportunity to speak about the position of the Kosovo Serbian community and the consequences of Pristina government’s non-inclusive policy.
The event was intended for European parliamentarians, but among those present were two Serbs from the North, the Deputy Minister for Communities and Return and the Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of North Mitrovica, led by the Deputy Minister of Local Self-Government and Administration, Arber Vokrri, who spoke on their behalf.
„For me, this is a perfect indicator of how the government of Kosovo sees the way Kosovo Serbs should engage in political life,“ she adds.
„The fact that Serbs from Kosovo have to travel to Brussels in order to point out the consequences of the unilateral and uninformed policies of the Kosovo government, the alarming consequences of the decision of the Central Bank of Kosovo, the ban on the import of goods from Serbia, illegal expropriation and the constant presence of Special Units of the Kosovo Police in the north of Kosovo, appropriation of property of the Serbian Orthodox Church, disrespect for decisions of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, unequal representation of Serbs in institutions at all levels, show that this government does not want to accept the fact that Serbs are a political factor in Kosovo and is doing everything to prevent this from happening again.“
According to Radosavljević, by acting this way, the government of Kosovo is sending a message that it does not want people who think for themselves but blind followers.
„My answer is that they will never find that in us, neither this nor any other government or political option. And that’s exactly what civil society exists for,“ she emphasizes.
The European integration of Serbia is of interest to all citizens of Serbia, regardless of where they live and citizenship
Radosavljević also explained that when it comes to the membership of Serbs from Kosovo in the Working Group of the National Convention of the European Union for Chapter 35, the European integration of Serbia is of interest to all citizens of Serbia, regardless of where they live or what other citizenship they might have.
Chapter 35 is especially important for Serbs from Kosovo, because, among other things, it is one of the channels of communication with the government of Serbia where information is learned about it, she added.
„The government of Kosovo can take it as a good example for Kosovo to inform the civil society about the progress in the dialogue in a similar way. In addition, the deputy prime minister should know that civil society organizations are part of regional networks, and that, unlike public institutions, they do not need anyone’s permission to participate in initiatives of this type,“ Jovana Radosavljević said in a statement for KoSSev.
This delegation of Serbs is returning from Brussels tonight.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
