The internationals have not convinced Serbia to give up the new measures against Kosovo. Despite all the reactions, official Belgrade has expressed the position that it will keep in force the decision to declare Kosovo a special social area and will approve the law on jurisdiction over criminal offenses in Kosovo in the Assembly. Germany has also declared against this teaching.
Serbia has decided to advance the new measures against Kosovo, ignoring the calls made by the United States and the European Union to stop them. On Monday, the Government of Serbia announced Kosovo as a “special social protection area” and approved the draft law which provides for the prosecution of those who, according to Belgrade, persecute the Serbian population in Kosovo.
The internationals have described this action of Serbia as a violation of the dialogue agreements and have requested the reconsideration of the decisions taken. The authorities in Belgrade expressed their position on Friday that the demands of the internationals will not be taken into account.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, the decisions are aimed at improving the life of Serbs. “The legislation in question is actually for the protection of the rights and social security of the Serbian people in Kosovo, being in line with our broader commitment to stability in the region. Even with the resolution of the United Nations, approved by the General Assembly, through which the EU assumed the role of mediator in the dialogue, it is said that the dialogue should aim to improve people’s lives”, says the reaction of the MFA of Serbia.
After the reaction of Kosovo, the USA and the EU, Germany also reacted on Friday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the most influential country in the EU has requested the implementation without delay of the agreement reached a year ago. “Serbia’s draft law on declaring Kosovo a special protection zone and on jurisdiction over criminal offenses clearly violates its obligations from the dialogue. We ask Serbia to reconsider. Both states, Kosovo and Serbia, must implement the Ohrid Agreement of 2023 without delay, including the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian majority,” says the reaction of the German MFA.
The decisions of the Government of Serbia were announced in September by the president of this country, Aleksandar Vučić. But, at that time, the internationals did not react.
