Hovenier: Before accusations, Kosovo government must gather credible investigation results

The U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier stated to ATV that the attack on the Ibar-Lepenac canal was unjustifiable and senseless in the 21st century, emphasizing that the Kosovo government should first gather credible investigation results before accusing anyone, as this would ensure widespread support. He noted that it is currently impossible to determine who is responsible for the attack.

“The investigation is ongoing, and the U.S. government offered its support the same evening the attack occurred, as did our European colleagues. American officials are working with Kosovo authorities on the investigation. We hope it will be swift, fair, credible, and transparent,” said Hovenier.

He reiterated the U.S. position that the perpetrators must be held accountable but stressed that, at this moment, he cannot state who is responsible.

“The U.S. government has advised the Kosovo government to gather credible investigation results before accusing anyone and then announce who is responsible. At that point, they will have everyone’s support,” Hovenier said.

He added that while there is not yet complete evidence, the U.S. believes enough will be found to establish accountability for the act.

He highlighted that this act could have harmed citizens, disrupted electricity and water supplies.

“We strongly condemn this horrific attack on critical infrastructure in Kosovo, which had the potential to significantly disrupt people’s lives and cause damage by affecting electricity production and water supply. Simply put, this was an unjustified attack that makes no sense in the 21st century,” Hovenier stated.

He acknowledged that the U.S. is aware the risk is greater in northern Kosovo than in other parts of the country.

He could not say whether the Banjska incident and the explosion in Varage on the canal are connected.

“There should be no speculation. Both incidents represent unacceptable threats to the citizens of Kosovo,” Hovenier underlined.

Konjufca’s Actions Regrettable, but Serb List’s Inaction Also Saddening

Discussing last week’s parliamentary session, which Speaker Glauk Konjufca interrupted following the arrival of Serb List MPs to prevent their participation, Hovenier criticized Konjufca, calling his actions “regrettable.”

“I think it was unfortunate. In the end, nothing looked good. It is regrettable if a parliamentary session is suspended in what seems like an attempt to prevent elected representatives from fulfilling their roles,” said the ambassador.

He also criticized the Serb List MPs.

“On the other hand, it is also deeply regrettable that elected representatives, who are there to promote and advance the interests of their people, decide not to exercise those rights. This is not the democracy we envisioned during the Ahtisaari process when we negotiated provisions for minority representatives in parliament. We hoped and expected that they would use their role as MPs to address their community’s concerns in a constructive manner. The entire situation was unfortunate,” Hovenier stated.

Hope That Kosovo and Serbia Will Fulfill Their Commitments

Hovenier emphasized that it is crucial for Kosovo to demonstrate readiness to be accountable to its friends and partners, including the U.S., by implementing commitments arising from agreements reached during the dialogue process.

“We had a fairly good agreement last year in Brussels, followed by the annex in Ohrid. We hope to see much more energy from both Kosovo and Serbia in implementing the commitments they have undertaken,” said the U.S. ambassador.

In this context, he reiterated the demand for the Kosovo government to submit the draft statute of the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM) to the Constitutional Court to assess its compliance with the Constitution.

“We expect the Kosovo government to move forward. Since there is a good draft statute for the CSM prepared by the EU, supported by the U.S., Germany, France, and Italy, and since the question of its constitutionality arises, we believe there is an easy way to resolve this: submit it to the Constitutional Court. Once Kosovo takes that step, partners have already promised that a series of positive developments will follow. I hope the Kosovo government will accept this advice and act,” Hovenier stated.

According to him, the CSM should not have executive powers.

“It should not resemble Republic of Srpska or any similar entity. It should not require constitutional changes. It should serve as a mechanism for these municipalities to coordinate among themselves on how to execute functions they already have under the Constitution in areas such as education, healthcare, land use, and economic development,” added Hovenier.

Potential Policy Changes if Trump Returns to Office

When asked whether U.S. policy toward Kosovo might change when Donald Trump returns to the White House, Hovenier stated that, as an ambassador, he cannot predict what the next administration will do but noted that it would not be unusual for it to adopt “different perspectives” on unresolved issues.

“It is inevitable that whenever a new U.S. administration takes office, it reviews open issues. So it would not be surprising for a Trump administration to take different perspectives on certain political issues compared to the Biden administration,” the U.S. ambassador concluded.