EU reacts after suspension of Mitrovica Court Speaker

This EU response comes after last week, the Kosovo Judiciary Council suspended Mitrovica Foundation Court chairman Ljiljana Stevanovic from work. The latter, on 22 March, along with other Kosovo Serb representatives, attended a meeting in Belgrade, called by Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq.

EU spokesman for foreign policy and security issues Peter Stano told reporters he must respect the procedures, but also understand the importance of integrating Serbian personnel into the Kosovo judicial system.

“We have been aware of the Kosovo Judiciary Council's decision to suspend the interim suspension of Mitrovica Foundation Court chairman. Kosovo's Serb personnel were integrated into Kosovo's legal system in 2017 through an agreement reached in the EU-extensive dialogue. This integration had enabled access to Kosovo's legal system and justice system for the Serb community”, he said.

Stano added that the integrated “judicial personnel perform important tasks, which directly benefit non-communal communities in Kosovo”.

“The EU expects the competent Kosovo authorities, but also Serbia, to respect all parts of this” agreement, Stano said.

The disciplinary procedures are not part of the agreement. The EU believes competent authorities will follow the proper process and procedure in terms of reviewing such a disciplinary case. At the same time, we expect the personnel of Kosovo's legal system to act on the basis of Kosovo laws and regulations”, he stressed.

The EU spokesman has also reiterated the European bloc's call for content from stimulating rhetoric.

“The EU invites Kosovo and Serbia to act on content and refrain from rhetoric or actions that could provoke tensions. We expect both sides to act responsibly and contribute to an appropriate atmosphere for normalising their” reports, Stano said.

Following the suspension of Ljiljana Stevanovic, the Serbian List ʹ the main party of Serbs in Kosovo after a protest held on March 25th, said that this Serbian party and judicial staff will suspend their jobs until Stvanovqi's return to work.

After Stevovic's suspension, Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq accused Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurtin of violating the agreements reached in Brussels, and said the Brussels Agreement reached in 2013 no longer exists. But these statements, in the EU, have not wanted to comment. Meanwhile, Kurti has said that Kosovo's judicial system is independent of the government.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, during their meeting under the dialogue mediated by the European Union. Brussels, June 15, 2021.
In Brussels they fear that recent developments, along with the Kosovo Government's decision not to allow Kosovo vote for Serbian presidential and parliamentary elections, could have a negative impact on the dialogue process.

In the European bloc, they agree that shortly after the Serbian elections, scheduled for 3 April, do not expect any concrete development in the dialogue process for normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia. /rel/