EU’s Borrell agrees with the US position on recent Kosovo Police action in the north

English

Gazeta Express

20/10/2021 14:51

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and EU High Representative Josep Borrell issued Wednesday a joint statement following their meeting last week in Washington commenting developments in the Western Balkans. In the joint press release prevails only the US position related to the recent Kosovo Police anti-smuggling operation in northern Kosovo. “We welcome and support Kosovo’s engagement to fight corruption and organized crime, and we reiterate that violence against civilians, journalists, police, or other authorities is unacceptable,” it is written in the joint press release.

The EU High representative, Josep Borrell, qualified the Kosovo Police operation in the north, which took place on 13 October, as “unilateral move”. “The violent incidents in the north of Kosovo need to stop immediately. Unilateral and uncoordinated actions that endanger stability are unacceptable,” Borrell wrote on Twitter on 13 October 2021.  He went on saying that all open issues must be addressed through the EU-facilitated Dialogue.

Unlike Borrell, the US Embassy in Pristina in a statement to Gazeta Express on 13 October said the United States is concerned by responses to Kosovo law enforcement actions on Kosovo territory. “The United States is concerned by responses to today’s Kosovo law enforcement actions on Kosovo territory. All violence, whether directed at authorities, media, or civilians, is unacceptable and should be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We urge calm,” a spokesperson of the US Embassy told Gazeta Express on 13 October after the Kosovo Police anti-smuggling operation in the north.

It seems that after meeting the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken in Washington, Borrell has agreed to a joint statement reflecting a statement that Borrell was reluctant saying on the day of the Kosovo Police action took place.

“We stress the importance of the EU-facilitated Dialogue, which is the key mechanism to address the comprehensive normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. After the recent weeks of tension in the north of Kosovo, we encourage both parties to engage in continued and sustained de-escalation and avoid actions that threaten stability. We welcome and support Kosovo’s engagement to fight corruption and organized crime, and we reiterate that violence against civilians, journalists, police, or other authorities is unacceptable,” it is written in the joint press release.

Borrell’s Tweet was criticized by the Government of Kosovo. Luan Dalipi, Chief of Staff in the Office of Prime Minister Albin Kurti, has said that the EU should not try to turn police action into a political and ethnic problem. “No one, and especially no high-level EU official, should try to make this a political or ethnic problem, and bilateral coordination is not relevant in this case, because stopping crime and illegal trading is a typical competency of a sovereign country,” Dalipi wrote on Twitter. /GazetaExpress/