Havenier: Serbia has responsibility to investigate, arrest, extradition suspects for Banjska attack

US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier spoke last night about the attack on Banjska, saying the perpetrators of the attack should give full responsibility in line with rule of law.

He said that what happened in Banjska was terrible.

The U.S. government is finishing its account assessment. We're not done yet. But I will repeat what we have said before, those responsible for this criminal act, the murder of a police officer, for threatening Kosovo's security and stability must be held accountable. And we will work with our Kosovo partners and others to make sure that this happens”, Ambassador Havenier said, Report10.

Asked whether Milan Radojiciqi should be extradited to Kosovo, Ambassador Havenier quoted his colleague Robert Wood as saying to the Security Council during the Security Council's recent meeting on this.

This is the position of the U.S. Government, it has not changed: The authors of the attack must give full responsibility in accordance with rule of law. That includes Serbia's responsibility to investigate, arrest, extradite or prosecute any suspect who may have fled to Serbia. This remains the position of my government”, he said.

Hovenier has also declared that the United States of America fully supports the European proposal for the establishment of the Serb Majority Communist Association, which was introduced to Prime Minister Albin Kurti by five diplomatic talks on 21 October.

According to Houvenier, the US is on the same line as France, Germany, and Italy for the draft association.

“In the recent statement of the president of France, the Chancellor of Germany and the prime minister of Italy, they described the draft state ʹ that they know they fully approve and add, the United States fully supports ʹ as a contemporary European “way to address the sensitive issue of protection of minorities in line with best European practices and standards within the parameters set by the” parties. We agree with this”, he said on Channel 10.
On the other hand, Ambassador Havenier added that the association “is a dedication, Kosovo's task” but that the US also understand and accept that “ai Association of Serb majority municipalities should be limited in certain ways”, the ambassador said.

Hovenier stressed that association must be founded alongside the principles of the Constitution of Kosovo and be in line with the editorial and the position the US expressed through Derek Chollet and Gabriel Escobar.

According to him, within the draft there are modalities that allow the Constitutional Court to approve it.

The last “Pict: is it in accordance with the Constitution? We believe it is, we believe it is in strong compliance. But I will also stress that we accept it, and one of its elements is the final organ to determine the constitutionality of everything in Kosovo is Kosovo's own Constitutional Court. And the draft has modalities in it to ensure that the Constitutional Court is able to approve that decision”.

Hüvenier also commented that this association implies a second Republika Srpska.

I've officially said many times what we don't want is another entity similar to Republika Srpska in Kosovo. We believe that this draft status avoids such a thing”, he said.

While commenting on the positions of Prime Minister Kurti and President Vuciq after the last meeting in Brussels, he said signing the agreement is not as important as fulfilling obligations.

Although he said he appreciated Kurt's readiness for signing, Havenier added that many other agreements around the world are legally binding even without signing.

Hovnier stressed that the EU and the US see the legally binding Base Agreement.

“From our point of view, while we acknowledge Prime Minister Kurti's interest in having a signature, we think it is far less important than the current importance of moving forward with full and full implementation of all obligations of the agreement on both sides. I can give you lists of other agreements that are not signed necessary but are legally binding, including in the process of dialogue. And I will reiterate that the United States and the European Union believe that the basic agreement and implementation annex are legally binding”, the ambassador said.

The US ambassador further spoke of the Serbian president's unwillingness to recognise Kosovo.

I can say that right now, we trust the president of Serbia when he says he's not prepared to do this”, he said.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti, after the 26 October meeting in Brussels, has said Serbia refused to sign the Base Agreement. He added that Kosovo, on the other hand, was willing to sign the Agreement, Aneks, as well as the draft state state for Association, which was introduced to the Government on 21 October.

According to Kurti, “acceptance means signing, and signing guarantees accession and implementation. ”