Escobar: Mayors can work from any place; there will be consequences if Kosovo does not follow our advice

The American Special Envoy for the Western Balkans said on the occasion of today's arrival of the Kosovo minister Elbert Krasniqi in the municipal building in Leposavic, which caused great indignation of the Serbs, that every time "the Kosovo authorities use those buildings as a symbol of their opposition to the US and EU plan to de-escalate the situation in the north, it disrupts relations between ethnic groups and relations between Kosovo and the Euro-Atlantic community," and warned that there would be consequences.

At the online media conference, Escobar, when asked by Kosovo Online to comment on today's events in Leposavic, said that there were "complaints" that the US was doing much more to help Serbia than Kosovo".

"Everything we did in the last 60-90 days was in favor of supporting Kosovo. Serbia did not want Kosovo's application for the Council of Europe to progress, we supported it. Serbia wanted us to insist that Kosovo abandon the elections in the north - we supported them. Serbia wanted the elections to be declared illegitimate due to low turnout - we didn't. In no case in the last 90 days, have we done anything that was not in favor of Kosovo. What we asked from Kosovo is that they do not use municipal buildings. It was an unnecessary escalation at a time when tensions were high. Well, the US government has been leaving official buildings due to floods, fires, covid, and even protests. We said there was no need to escalate. The legitimacy of the mayors would not be called into question if they had worked from alternative locations. From wherever they are operating their actions would be legitimate. However, they insisted on working from municipal buildings," Escobar said.

He said that the US, together with the EU, would continue to insist on the demands for de-escalation and pointed out that there would be consequences if Kosovo continued to refuse to fulfill them.

"We are still working on the EU three-point plan to de-escalate the crisis caused by the inauguration of the mayors and their installation in municipal buildings, which caused protests. Our position is in line with the EU, we believe that the mayors should work from alternative locations, that the Special Police should withdraw from those facilities, that the protests should stop, and that anyone who committed a violent act against KFOR soldiers or the Kosovo Police should answer. New elections with the unconditional participation of the Serbs should be held as soon as possible and we should immediately return to the dialogue in order to ensure that the Ohrid Agreement is implemented," Escobar said.

He emphasized once again that the formation of the CSM was an obligation of Kosovo and that those Kosovo officials who claimed that it could be rejected were "muddling the water".

"We are not asking for anything that Kosovo has not committed to. The CSM is an obligation between Kosovo and Serbia, but also between Kosovo and the EU. We will help Kosovo to shape the CSM within the framework of European standards. And that is the level of providing municipal services, in the Serbian language for Kosovo citizens, in accordance with European policy. In this context, there is no European model according to which a neighboring country can cross the borders of another country and violate its constitutionality, and functionality. That is our goal. What we do not understand is why the government of Kosovo refuses to recognize that it has legal obligations.

Regarding the statements of the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, that in the case of the CSM, he only insists that the law and the rule of law be applied, Escobar indicated that this also meant that he was obliged to accept Kosovo's international obligations

"Laws and the rule of law also oblige him to fulfill international obligations, to implement court decisions on the Decani Monastery, to fully implement Kosovo's constitutional and other obligations when it comes to the use of language, to follow the recommendations of the Venice Commission on expropriation," Escobar said.

Regarding the sanctions imposed on Kosovo because it refuses to meet the demands of the US and the EU, Escobar said that if this continued, there would certainly be consequences.

"We ask both countries to take part in building regional stability. Those who want to be partners with us should work with us and the EU to move forward. This is a regional issue, one country and one leader cannot determine regional and European stability. Those who refuse partnership will suffer consequences," Escobar said.

When it comes to the arrest of three Kosovo policemen, Escobar said that the US was closely monitoring the case. He said he would not give statements until all the facts were known.

"At this point, there are two most likely scenarios. Or that they were caught on the territory of Kosovo and taken to Serbia or that they crossed the border unintentionally and found themselves on the territory of Serbia. In both cases, it is clear that these policemen had no intention of being in Serbia and should be released. We call on all parties to work with the international factor in Kosovo, in order to establish the facts," Escobar said.

He indicated that they did not want the current crisis between Serbia and Kosovo to be dictated by this case.