US Assistant Secretary of State at the Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights and Work, Nicolae Chulick, said it is important that Kosovo co-operate with its partners to strengthen the candidacy for membership in all Euro-Atlantic institutions, as well as in the Council of Europe.

Chulick made comments at a meeting with a group of journalists at the US Embassy in Pristina.

She reiterated that the US vision of Kosovo is to be part of Euro-Atlantic institutions.

“We call on Kosovo to listen to its closest partners' advice, in order to ensure a positive result when it comes to any vote”, Chulick said.

She said she has told them some of the European partners' concerns about the Association of Serb majority municipalities and the Kosovo Central Bank regulation, which prohibits the use of the Serbian dinar.

Kosovo must continue to work on these issues, address them and move again before”, the US official said.

“Knowing also the responsibilities of the Central Bank of Kosovo, we have repeatedly expressed our concerns about the way [the regulation] is implemented. We have not felt that she has considered the way it will affect communities, especially the Serb community. So, we're monitoring the situation and we're concerned”, Chulick added.

US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Havenier, also present at the meeting with journalists, voiced his disappointment with yesterday's action by the Kosovo Police in northern Kosovo, during which several Serbian financial institutions were closed.

Hovenier said the move was not co-ordinated with international partners, and, according to him, escalates tensions.

He called the Kosovo Government constructive engagement in the facilitated dialogue by the European Union, naming “the appropriate channel for resolving issues related to normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia”.

Chulick, on the other hand, added that one of the reasons he is found in Kosovo is to show US support for a democratic, prosperous and multiethnic Kosovo.

She stressed that it is important that the Government engage more actively with members of the minority communities and involve them in the policymaking process.

Kosovo is home to many ethnic Serbs and they deserve to keep their families and businesses here”, Chulick said.

According to her, the Kosovo government should work for all Kosovo citizens, “without taking into account their ethnic affiliation or differences”.

Chulick said, too, that the US regrets that the Serb List ʹ the largest Serbian party in Kosovo did not participate in the vote for the dismissal of Albanian leaders in majority Serb municipalities in the north on 21 April.

“We would like them to benefit from the democratic means they have at their disposal”, she said.

Chulick stressed that the US remains concerned by the treatment of minorities in Kosovo and said it will continue to work on the issue.

According to her, one of the benefits of being part of the Council of Europe would be the highest respect for minority citizens and also access to international processes, through which Kosovo could address such issues as the inclusion of minorities and full participation in their country's government and democracy, for example through the European Court of Human Rights”.

“Political opportunists may try to exploit international circumstances in their behalf”

Asked if she fears that nationalist leaders in the Balkans will exploit the international political vacuum, resulting from elections in the EU and the US, to further complicate the situation on the ground, the US State Department official said that “political exporters can try to exploit international circumstances in their behalf at any time, but we are alert to those efforts, not just here in Kosovo, but around the world<1>.

It's important for us to stress that they are US and European security interests we can depend on our partners and they can depend on us, regardless of our political party or movement. We will continue to contribute to a more stable, safer and prosperous Western Balkans, and we will continue to work in support of this target”, Chulick concluded. / REL/