EU welcomes Vuciqi calls for reintegration of Serbs to Kosovo

“We welcome the readiness expressed by President Vuciq to continue engagement in the EU facilitated dialogue. We take his call to Kosovo Serbs, to participate in the Kosovo elections and to reintegration into all Kosovo institutions, from which they left in 2022”, said EU spokesman Peter Stano.

He made comments on Radio Free Europe's request to comment on some Vuciqi's requests and measures, which he presented last week.

Among other things, they include the proclamation and maintenance of local, free and democratic <x0-elections” in northern Kosovo, inhabited by Serb majority, as well as the return of Serbs to the Kosovo Regional Police Directorate for the north and the return of Serbian judges and prosecutors to their posts.

The municipalities in the north, currently, are led by Albanians, as local Serb residents boycotted the elections in that area.

Serbian leaders, as did other community officials, resigned from Kosovo institutions in the north in November 2022, when tensions were high due to Kosovo authorities' decision to replace Serbian license plates with Kosovo license plates.

Stano said the EU, repeatedly, has called on Belgrade to encourage the reintegration of Serbs to the Kosovo and Pristina institutions to enable it.

The dialogue agreements envision steps and procedures for this to happen, in line with and respecting the Kosovo legal framework”, Stano said.

“in this context, the implementation of the Serbian majority municipalities' association is very important”, he added, referring to also Vuciqi's request for the establishment of this association in Kosovo.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has not commented so far on Vuciki's demands.

Radio Free Europe has contacted its government since last Friday, but has not received answers.

Stano repeated calls for avoidance from promotional rhetoric and, as he said. One-sided steps.

“Versatile and misleading rhetoric, as well as unilateral and uncoordinated actions go against dialogue. They put at risk the normalisation of reports between Kosovo and Serbia, as well as the security of their citizens”, Stano said.

The road forward for both sides is to confirm their constructive commitment to the normalisation process. The first instance of this is the meeting of chief negotiators in Brussels on 17 September”, the EU spokesman said.

He added that the European Union “would continue to stay close to citizens in Kosovo and Serbia, in their respective aspirations to join the EU”.