Balkans | Serbia wants the OSCE to be more active in Kosovo

Serbia’s foreign minister, Ivica Dacic, said they wanted the OSCE to have a more active presence in Kosovo.

In the capital, Belgrade, Dacic met with the current OSCE President and North Macedonian Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani.

In a statement after the meeting, Dacic said that all international institutions in Kosovo should continue their activities and said, “The presence of international institutions is important to ensure peace and stability there. When the Brussels Treaty was signed, the role of the OSCE in the elections in Kosovo was clearly described “. He said.

Recalling that the OSCE was not included in the local elections held on April 23 in municipalities with a large Serb population in Kosovo, Dacic said, “We expect the OSCE to show its neutral position when it comes to Kosovo. Serbia supports the presence of the OSCE and wants it to have a more active presence in Kosovo. He said.

Dacic said they are ready to do their best to solve the problems.

Osmani also stated that they support the OSCE’s Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue process, which is mediated by the European Union, “Our biggest focus is peace and prosperity.” Use his statements.

Meanwhile, 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.

– Relations between Serbia and Kosovo

Although Kosovo is recognized as an independent country by 117 countries, it is described as one of Europe’s “frozen conflict zones” due to persistent ethnic tensions in its north and its inability to become a member of the United Nations.

Serbia considers Kosovo, which unilaterally declared its independence in 2008, to be its territory.

Serbia and Kosovo, which clash periodically, are trying to find a common way to normalize relations, and eventually the two countries get to know each other, within the framework of the dialogue process between Belgrade and Pristina, which began in 2011 under the mediation of the European Union.

AA