Police confirm closure of nine Serbian Post facilities in the north

In northern Mitrovica and Leposaviq are closed by three objects, in Zvecan two, and one in Zubin Potok.

Kosovo Police Deputy Director for northern Mitrovica Veton Elshani has told the Telegrafis that the action has started after the information accepted by the Electronic and Post Communications Regulatory Authority (ARKEP) that non-licensed economic operators are operating on Kosovo's territory and that they are not registered at the Agency for Registering Business in Kosovo (ARBK).

He said the information has resulted in accuracy, with cases according to him, police have notified the state prosecutor, and then continue according to his authorisations.

“After a letter/informs received by ARKEP, that on Kosovo's territory operate economic operators without license and unregistered at ARBK, police units have gone to verify this information. The information has proved to be accurate to what police have announced to the state prosecutor, and we continue under his authorisation”, Elshani said.

A Zvecan Poster has said about REL that police officials have blocked the entry of the facility and that they can no longer enter it.

According to him, during the action, police officials have checked documents.

A North Mitrovica Poster has said he has not faced any problems during the police action, which police have been correct and that no one has been invited to interview.

ARKEP Chairman Nazim Rahimi confirmed for Radio Free Europe That the institution he heads has informed Kosovo's “relevant institutions that Serbia's Post is illegally operating on Kosovo territory”.

However, he has not shown the number of Serbia's Post offices operating in Kosovo.

“We only cover the domain part of postal services, delivery of mail, letters and package”, he said.

The Electronic and Postal Communications Regulatory Authority (ARKEP) is the regulatory body in the field of electronic communications and postal service, which oversees the regulatory framework stipulated by the law on electronic communications, by the law for postal service and development policies.

The Serbian list ʹ the main party of Serbs in Kosovo, enjoying official Belgrade's support, has considered the action as “following the plan for ethnic cleansing of the north from everything that has the Serbian background”.

The search for postal services after the removal of the dinar is the worst blow to the functioning of Serbian institutions and the provision of services for citizens in these areas” is said in the party's statement.

“Kurti is simply boiling out of anger that after all anti-Serb actions and the oppression of the Serbian people, Serbs still remain defiant in the north”, it was said among other things in the statement, referring to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

The director of the Office for Kosovo in Serbia's Government, Petar Petkoviq, has considered Kosovo Police Action as “against legal” and has accused Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, that thus “directly endorses an armed conflict”.

It is clear that he wants to cause conflicts on the ground at any cost, and this is happening before the eyes of the international community”, Petkov said through a statement.

According to him, police action has been conducted “out of all agreements” reached between Kosovo and Serbia and has called on the international community to react.

“There is a brutal breach of agreements, and this action of Pristina has been carried out in opposition to the 2015 telecommunication agreement, which clearly says that all postal services issues will be resolved exclusively within the framework of the” dialogue, it has said, among other things.

Although postal services were not part of these talks, both sides agreed to discuss them at a later stage.

Kosovo and Serbia dialogue for normalisation of relations, under European Union mediation, since 2011.

The sides have signed a host of agreements, but not all have been implemented.

What does Serbia's Post Office do in Kosovo?

Serbia's post in Kosovo carries out various fees for Serbs in Kosovo, from funds that separate the Serbian Government for them, including salaries, additions for children and pensions.

Also, through Serbia's Post, various fees are made in Kosovo for services citizens receive from parallel institutions, operating according to Serbia's system, for example, the payment for Serbian documents, payment for exams, remittances, etc.

In addition to the municipalities in northern Kosovo, Serb-run majority resident Mitrovica, Zvecan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok Posta also operates in Serb-run areas south of Ibri.

The Post's work has been difficult since the start of this year, due to a decision by Kosovo Central Bank (BQK), which has made the euro the only currency for making cash payments.

Thus, the use of the Serbian dinar has been banned.

Serbia claims it shares aid worth millions of euros for Serb residents in Kosovo.

The international mechanism had criticised Kosovo authorities for making that decision, saying they have not offered enough alternatives to local Serbs.

The action in the north, the police detail: Nine locations that operated as illegal posts have been identified.