Hovenier: The CSM in accordance with the Constitution of Kosovo; there is no new Republika Srpska

The American Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, reiterated that the US did not support the solution for the CSM, which, he stated, violated the Constitution and statehood of Kosovo, Reporteri reports.

In an interview with Dukagjini, Hovenier emphasized that the US did not support the CSM, which contradicted the decision of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, and emphasized that it was not a solution that resembles the Republika Srpska.

"I want to be very clear, and I've said it many times before and I'll probably say it again: The United States is not asking Kosovo to do something that violates its Constitution. The United States is not asking Kosovo to do anything inconsistent with the 2015 Constitutional Court ruling. The United States does not support and will not support anything that even remotely resembles Republika Srpska," Hovenier said.

He added that the US still believed that the establishment of the CSM remained a key issue for Kosovo and reminded that the Government of Kosovo itself had signed the obligation to establish the CSM in 2015 through the Brussels Agreement.

"The reason why we think this is crucial is that the international community, and in particular the United States, believe that there is a need for Kosovo to fulfill the commitments it has made, but also, we believe, that it is essential for the effective efforts of the Kosovo government to address the problems Serbian community. They asked for it," Hovenier said.

He explained what is behind Article 7 of the agreement reached in Brussels, which talked about the "self-government of the Serbian community in Kosovo".

According to Hovenier, this article refers to the CSM, but this is a point that will be discussed further during the implementation of the plan.

"This is a fair question and of course, one part will have to be discussed in the context of the implementation plan. But I would also refer to article ten, which states that the parties confirm their obligation to implement all previous agreements from the dialogue, which remain valid and binding. Therefore, I think that this question of the appropriate level of self-governance of the Serbian community in Kosovo refers to the CSM," he stated.

He added that the US vision was that "Kosovo is a sovereign and democratic state, which can be realized through the CSM".

"I expressed the views of the United States that progress on the CSM is an important part of the implementation of this agreement and, more importantly, to some extent for Kosovo to fulfill that shared vision that we have as a multi-ethnic, sovereign and democratic state," Hovenier said.