Balkans | OSCE Chairman Osmani: “Tension in northern Kosovo must be reduced”

Bujar Osmani, chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and North Macedonia’s foreign minister, warned that tensions in northern Kosovo should be reduced.

Osmani met with Foreign Minister Donica Jervala Schwartz within the framework of her official visit to the capital of Kosovo, Pristina, and spoke at the joint press conference held after the meeting.

Noting that the OSCE supports dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Osmani said, “It is very important to ease tensions in northern Kosovo and start the process of political dialogue provided by the European Union.” He said.

Othmani indicated that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is ready to support the implementation of the agreements to be reached between the two countries.

Jervala Schwartz also drew attention to the fact that the OSCE is democratizing Kosovo through its work and said, “During the meeting, we also discussed the relations between North Macedonia and Kosovo. The good relations between the two countries prove that the Western Balkans is not an area of ​​conflict, But it is an area where neighboring countries cooperate on the basis of mutual respect and understanding.” He said.

Stating that the Western Balkan countries must implement the agreement they reached within the scope of the Berlin process, Jervala reminded Schwarz that Kosovo, North Macedonia and Albania have ratified the agreements and passed to the implementation stage.

Candidates of Albanian political parties won the local elections held on 23 April in 4 municipalities inhabited by Serbs in northern Kosovo, and Kosovo Serbs boycotted the elections.

The Kosovo Central Election Commission (KQZ) announced that 1,567 (3.47 percent) of the 45,095 registered voters in the region voted in the extraordinary local elections.

Balkan News