Hovenier: In the ongoing discussions on the Mts case; Kosovo should be careful in revoking the work license

The US Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, warned Kosovo that it should be careful regarding the revocation of work licenses, stating that discussions were ongoing regarding the solution to the situation with the permit for the Serbian telecommunications operator Mts.

When asked by Radio Free Europe (RFE), what was the position of the US Embassy regarding the decision of the Government of Kosovo to revoke the license of the Serbian telecommunications operator Mts, Hovenier replied that it was a "very sensitive issue".

"In the case of any business whose license can be revoked, we encourage the Government to take such actions with caution... It's a big deal when you revoke a license to operate," Hovenier said.

"We call on the Government to be very, very careful in the actions it takes," the US Ambassador added.

He stated that it was reasonable for the Government to expect companies operating in Kosovo to respect the law, but it was not reasonable for it to take steps without coordination.

"The international community expects the Government to coordinate with us on the way to implement the legal provisions, on something that is sensitive, such as the operations of companies whose foundations came from the agreement (within the dialogue), with the mediation of the EU," Hovenier said.

He said that talks were ongoing between the European Union's Special Representative for Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, and the Government of Kosovo on how to resolve this situation.

"I don't want to prejudge the outcome of this (talk), and I don't want to waste time on details, except to say that we supported and continue to support the initiative of the EU Special Representative, who has the responsibility to ensure full compliance with all Brussels agreements," Hovenier said.