Congresswoman Claudia Tenney sent a letter to Kurti: Quick actions for de-escalation in the north and formation of the CSM

The co-chair of the Serbian caucus, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, in which she called on him to take quick actions in order to de-escalate the tensions in the north of Kosovo and progress in the implementation of the Brussels Agreement from 2013, which includes the establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities.

In the statement, Tenney points out that for more than a decade, Kosovo has not fulfilled its promises, in accordance with the Brussels Agreement from 2013, including the formation of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities.

She reminds that as a sign of protest, the Serbs from Kosovo boycotted the mayoral elections in April this year, held in Serb-majority communities, which led to less than four percent turnout.

Kurti then, she adds, called the special police to forcefully install those mayors, who were elected "without a clear mandate", noting that, instead of working to de-escalate tensions, Kurti decided to continue fueling the fire.

Tenney points out that the continuous violation of the rights of Kosovo Serbs, an ethnic minority group in the north of Kosovo, has significantly destabilized the region.

To resolve this, Tenney calls on Kurti to call for new mayoral elections in Serb-majority communities, the complete withdrawal of Special Forces from these municipalities, and the creation of a Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, in accordance with the 2013 Brussels Agreement.

"The rights and security of Kosovo Serbs are of the utmost importance and it is imperative that the administration of Prime Minister Kurti takes immediate steps to resolve the growing unrest in the north of Kosovo," Congresswoman Tenney said, according to a statement on her website.

She stated in the letter that she was seriously concerned about the escalation of tensions in the north of Kosovo and the lack of progress in implementing the Brussels Agreement from 2013.

"Today I sent a letter calling for new elections for the mayors, the withdrawal of the Kosovo Special Forces, and the establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities as stated in the agreement. In order to create a peaceful coexistence between Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs in the region, Kurti must fulfill his obligations by fully implementing and implementing the Brussels Agreement of 2013," Tenney said.

Claudia Tenney's letter reads in its entirety:

‘I write with grave concern over the escalation of tensions in Northern Kosovo and the lack of progress in implementing the 2013 Brussels Agreement. I am concerned about the infringement on the rights of Kosovo Serbs that continues to destabilize security and safety in the region.

I highly encourage you and your administration to hold new elections for mayoral posts in Serb-majority communities, fully withdraw the Special Forces in Serb-majority municipalities, and finally create the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, as required by the 2013 Brussels Agreement.

As you know, Kosovo Serbs boycotted the April 23rd mayoral elections in the North of Kosovo, as a result of discriminatory anti-Serb policies and a lack of progress in implementing the 2013 Brussels Agreement.

This led to a dismal turnout of only 1,567 people out of approximately 45,000 eligible voters – a 3.5 percent turnout rate. Despite the clear lack of a mandate from these results, these mayors were forcibly installed in North Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan, and Zubin Potok – all Kosovo Serb-majority communities.

In order to forcibly install these mayors, Kosovo special police were called in to repress Kosovo Serb democratic protests against the forced installation of these mayors.

As the Joint Statement on Kosovo put out by the United States, France, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom pointed out, “There is no requirement that mayors be sworn in at municipal offices.” The influx of special police only serves to inflame tensions and conflict, rather than deliver a long-term viable political solution for these communities.

While new elections and removing the special police will help address the current spike in tensions, this alone is not a solution to the underlying crisis.

Over a decade ago, Kosovo committed to creating a Community of Serb-majority Municipalities to help ensure these ethnic minority communities receive adequate representation and protection of their rights. However, Kosovo has yet to make serious, meaningful progress in creating this community.

After a decade of waiting, Kosovo Serbs are tired of waiting for the full implementation of the 2013 Brussels Agreement, and I respectfully urge you to fulfill this longstanding obligation.

Like you, I look forward to the day when Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs live side-by-side without conflict. However, the unilateral steps you have taken to further stoke conflict are unacceptable and must be reversed immediately.

Additionally, your existing obligations under the 2013 Brussels Agreement must be fulfilled to create a lasting peace within Kosovo.

I hope to continue working with you to solve this conflict once and for all, and eagerly await de-escalatory actions by your Government and the formation of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities.”