Kosovo and Serbia Must Work to Normalize Relations

Kosovo and Serbia Must Work to Normalize Relations

The United States remains committed to peace and stability in the Western Balkans, including through its support for the NATO Kosovo Force’s peacekeeping mission, said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

“It is our goal, alongside European partners and other stakeholders, to foster democracy, regional economic integration, vibrant multi-ethnic societies, and rule of law. To that end, we ask both Kosovo and Serbia to refrain from uncoordinated or escalatory actions. And we urge them to return to the EU-facilitated Dialogue, which the United States continues to strongly support.”

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield stressed that “it is the EU-facilitated Dialogue not the UN Security Council that should be the channel for resolving issues related to the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.”

The United States is concerned over Kosovo’s plan for enforcing the Central Bank of Kosovo’s amended regulations on cash transactions. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield called for the “enforcement of this plan to be immediately postponed until satisfactory procedures in line with European standards and practices of good governance are in place, and the affected population has been sufficiently educated on the process this transition will follow.”

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield expressed concern about “recent, uncoordinated actions the government of Kosovo has undertaken, including law enforcement operations at the offices of the Serbia-supported institutions in municipalities in western Kosovo, and the NGO Center For Peace and Tolerance in Pristina.”

“These actions are inconsistent with Kosovo’s commitment to work through the EU-facilitated Dialogue to address issues that affect the welfare of the Serb minority community. And they undermine the path to normalization between Kosovo and Serbia,” she said.

The United States reiterates its condemnation of the coordinated, violent Serb paramilitary attacks on the Kosovo Police near the Banjska Monastery on September 24, which killed a Kosovo police sergeant.

“Four months have elapsed since this attack, and Serbia has yet to hold accountable those involved in its planning and execution,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield:

“We again call on Serbia to pursue full accountability for the perpetrators and organizers of the September 24 attack. Serbia must also work with KFOR to ensure that another attack like this cannot happen again.”

The Agreement on the path to normalization between Kosovo and Serbia is a set of legally binding commitments that will make peace possible between these two countries.