The governments of the United States, France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom this Thursday requested the “urgent” cooperation of Kosovo’s local communities to achieve a “political solution”. After local elections were held under the complete boycott of Serbs In a fresh episode of escalation of tension that has dominated the region for almost a year and a half.
“We call on all actors to cooperate urgently among all interested parties, including local communities, Towards a solution that provides a sustainable participatory representative democracy in these municipalities.reads a joint statement.
In this sense, these countries have commented that “there should be no action or initiative—including newly elected mayors and municipal assemblies—that are not at the service of the population or may lead to increased tensions”.
“All parties should refrain from the use of force or actions that escalate tensions or escalate conflict,” he added. Support an EU-facilitated dialogue to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
The signatory countries refer to the elections held in northern Kosovo on 23 April, which voted for four mayors and two municipal assemblies. “After the exclusion of a significant part of the Serb community, The results do not represent a long-term political solution for these municipalities”.He has repented.
Only 3.4 percent of the population cast their vote in local elections in municipalities with a Kosovar Serb majority, Whose population and its main party List Serbia strongly boycotted. Electoral officials in Serbia and Kosovo agreed on their voter turnout figures, announcing only 1,557 ballots cast.
The elections were held due to the institutional vacuum left by the Kosovar Serb mayors. Resigned from their posts to condemn a campaign of harassment by the Kosovo government, representative of the Kosovar Albanian population. The resignation was another episode in a September 2021 crisis over vehicle registration powers between Serbia and Kosovo that has worsened over the weeks.
Northern Kosovo thus became the scene of attacks on EU mission patrols, the arrest of former Kosovo Serb police officers and the building of barricades by the Kosovo Serb population, at the height of hostilities late last year.
This maneuver prompted Kosovo to deploy its forces along the northern border, a decision responded by Belgrade with an almost unprecedented initiative: A request to NATO to deploy Serbian forces in the area, which never came to fruition.
