The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, has announced that in yesterday’s meeting with the High Representative of the European Union, Miroslav Lajçak, four points were agreed upon, including the public statement of the Government of Kosovo that supports the holding of early elections in 4 municipalities in the north of the country and after the summer season.

Bislimi has also announced that they have agreed that the Kosovo Police, together with EULEX and KFOR, will assess the security situation as needed, in particular to look at the possibility of further reducing the police presence in and around municipal buildings.

Bislim’s full Facebook comment:

Yesterday’s meeting in Bratislava with the High Representative of the European Union, Mr. Lajçak, focused on the creation of preconditions for strengthening the focus on the full, fair and unconditional implementation of the Basic Agreement of February 27 and the Ohrid annex of March 18. We have an agreement which must be implemented. In this context, we have agreed on the following:

• The government of Kosovo publicly shows its readiness to contribute to the de-escalation of the situation and the non-undertaking of actions that could escalate the situation in the north of the country. This includes an immediate 25% reduction in police presence in and around municipal buildings.

• The Kosovo Police, together with EULEX and KFOR, will assess the security situation as needed, in particular to look at the possibility of further reducing the police presence in and around municipal buildings.

• The Government of Kosovo through a public statement supports the holding of early elections in the 4 municipalities in the north of the country and those after the summer season. Kosovo expresses its commitment to ensure the necessary legal basis to enable the organization of these elections.

• The EU will invite the two chief negotiators to Brussels with the aim of finalizing the sequencing plan for the Agreement towards Normalization, after which the implementation of all the articles of the agreement will begin.

The above-mentioned actions will be finalized within a two-week period.

Our willingness and constructiveness as a party in this process has never been lacking. And we are witnessing this continuously. We have never acted or contributed to the escalation of the situation in the north, but only in defense of constitutionality and legality in the country. In this spirit we take all our decisions and steps.

Serbia must stop its inciting acts of violence, which led to attacks on KFOR soldiers, police and journalists, the confiscation of a large ammunition arsenal near the municipality of Zveçan, and the kidnapping of three of our police officers deep inside territory of the Republic of Kosovo.

The moment has come for Serbia to adhere to its commitments before the EU and implement the agreed agreements. They can no longer hide behind attempts to create tensions and crises, to escalate the situation. The moment has come for the agreement to be implemented in a fair, unconditional and balanced manner.

/k.s/