Kurti: 8-Point Plan for De-escalation in the North

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti unveils an 8-point plan to ease tensions in the north, emphasising the need for concrete steps towards de-escalation and stability in the region.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti presented an 8-point plan, stating that they are eager and ready to engage in concrete steps to ease tensions and stabilize the region.

Just two days after the European Commission presented punitive measures against Kosovo to the European Parliament, Prime Minister Albin Kurti unveiled an 8-point plan in Pristina for "easing the situation in the northern part of the country." Kurti emphasized the need for urgent action towards this goal, stating that "Kosovo is ready to take steps towards de-escalating the situation in northern Kosovo" and that they are "eager and ready to engage in concrete steps that support the objectives of de-escalation and stability in the region."

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Kurti: Ready to Engage

"The steps we consider necessary and are ready to engage in are as follows: reducing the presence of the Kosovo Police in municipal buildings and their surroundings gradually and proportionally with the reduction of violence; full access to judicial processes for perpetrators of violence and monitoring of these processes by EULEX and relevant human rights organizations; early elections in four northern municipalities through a withdrawal petition supported by at least 20 per cent of the electorate," said Prime Minister Kurti. According to his plan, once the requirements for the withdrawal of current mayors are fulfilled, the date of the elections will be announced by the President. Furthermore, the four mayors of the northern municipalities will be instructed to hand over their authority to the new mayors after the certification of the results by the Central Election Commission.

Full Guarantees for Fair Trials

The Kosovar Prime Minister called for direct engagement from Serbia in withdrawing violent protesters from municipal buildings and their surroundings, as well as a commitment to cooperation in pre-trial detention and judicial proceedings for the perpetrators of violence. Kurti emphasized that this process should be monitored by EULEX and include full guarantees for fair trials. "Reducing the readiness of armed forces in Serbia to a low level, no new troop movements, the removal of 48 operational bases along the border. Serbia should not obstruct or interfere with the rights of Serbian citizens in Kosovo, and all political parties should be able to participate freely, without intimidation, obligation, or corruptive influence, in the local elections process in Kosovo," stated Prime Minister Kurti.

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Prishtina Declares Serbian Organizations as Terrorist

So far, there has been no response from the EU regarding Kurti's 8-point plan. Just hours before Kurti presented his plan to de-escalate the situation in the north, the government led by Kurti declared two Serbian organizations operating in northern Kosovo, "Civil Defense" and "Northern Brigade," as terrorist organizations. According to security institutions, these two organizations engage in activities threatening the constitutional order of Kosovo in the predominantly Serbian-populated northern part of the country. This decision by the Kosovo government comes at a time when tensions remain high in the north. International efforts continue to de-escalate the situation in the north and improve relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

EU: Pressure and Negotiations to Avoid Escalation

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, stated on Thursday that he supports the idea of organizing an international conference to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia. He made this statement at the beginning of the two-day European Union Summit, where the security situation in Kosovo and the process of normalizing Kosovo-Serbia relations are being discussed. "I want to say that we also support the idea of organizing a conference as soon as possible with several very active EU member states to support all mediation efforts in close coordination with the United States. Lately, we have seen some difficulties leading to escalation, and I believe it is time to have a global approach, it is time to take clear steps towards normalization," said Charles Michel. This idea was mentioned earlier by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who stated that "this conference would bring the parties together and not allow them to leave the room without a solution, or else they will face the consequences." The consequences for Kosovo and Serbia, if they fail to de-escalate the situation, especially in the north and improve their relations, will be both political and economic. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, stated that he will seek the support of EU member states to continue pressuring the parties to avoid escalation. "The member states have decided that measures should be taken, both economically and politically, to make it clear that if they do not contribute to de-escalation, it will come at a cost," said Borrell ahead of the two-day European Union Summit, where the security situation in Kosovo and the process of normalizing Kosovo-Serbia relations are being discussed.

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