Mijacic: An international working group established to assist Serbs over the law on foreigners

Dragisa Mijacic, Coordinator of the National Convention for Chapter 35, stated today that the international community is deeply concerned about the implementation of Pristina’s Law on Foreigners and that it has established a special working group to enable a large number of members of the Serbian community to resolve their status in Kosovo.

“A working group has been formed consisting of representatives of the international community, primarily the European Union and several embassies of the Quint countries, as well as the Kosovo government, which will deal with issues of importance relating to civil registries, citizen registration, and similar matters, in order to simply enable a large number of members of the Serbian community to resolve their status in Kosovo and Metohija,” Mijacic told Tanjug.

He added that a few days ago they held a meeting with representatives of the EU, the Quint countries, and other ambassadors in Kosovo, as well as international organizations such as KFOR, the OSCE, UNMIK, and others, along with four civil society organizations from northern Kosovo operating in Serbian communities, at which they presented all the problems they are facing.

Mijacic emphasized that there is an enormous range of problems when it comes to obtaining Kosovo documents for a certain number of members of the Serbian community.

“We are not the only ones pointing out these problems; political representatives of Kosovo Serbs are doing so as well. Diplomatic efforts are also apparently underway. Official Belgrade has not spoken out much on this issue, but we believe in quiet diplomacy and that something is being done behind the scenes. So, understanding of the problem is clear. Everyone knows what the problems are, but the possibility of exerting pressure on the Kosovo government at this moment is truly minimal,” Mijacic said.

Asked which law is worse for Serbs in Kosovo—the Law on Motor Vehicles or the Law on Foreigners—Mijacic replied that both laws were designed as part of a broader strategy to obstruct the functioning of Serbian institutions in that territory, noting that prior to this there had been issues with the abolition of license plates and then the abolition of the dinar.

“The government in Pristina cannot abolish healthcare and education in Kosovo, because that would be a major move—closing a hospital or a university. Simply put, the condition set by the international community is that it must not take such a radical step,” Mijacic assessed.

He explained that this is why the Pristina government first banned the import of textbooks—so even if you have education under the Serbian system, you do not have textbooks—and then banned the import of medicines.

“The entire situation surrounding license plates was aimed at preventing hospitals, primarily their hospital and ambulance vehicles, from using KM plates, forcing them to register. The Republic of Serbia responded by registering those vehicles in cities in central Serbia, primarily Raska, Novi Pazar, and so on. Now they are banning the operation of such vehicles. That means that even an ambulance from a hospital registered in Raska can no longer operate,” Mijacic explained.

As for the Law on Foreigners, Mijacic said that the goal of this measure is to prevent, for example, a university professor or a doctor coming from Belgrade to work periodically in Kosovska Mitrovica from doing so, because the Law on Foreigners does not allow it without a work permit.

“In order to obtain a work permit, the employer must be registered in the Kosovo system. The university is not registered in the Kosovo system, the hospital is not registered in the Kosovo system, and therefore it cannot issue a legal work permit under which this person could come and provide services or perform their professional activity,” Mijacic stated.

He rejected claims that the international community unconditionally supports Pristina, noting that Germany, France, and Italy wrote a letter that prevented Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe, but that at this moment the possibility of exerting pressure on Albin Kurti is minimal.

“What has changed is that the Council of the European Union lifted sanctions on Kosovo—these were punitive measures. As a result, Kosovo funds amounting to at least one billion euros, and likely more, have been released. In addition, investments with international creditors—the EBRD and international banks—have been unlocked. Kurti received more than 50 percent of the vote. In other words, a highway has opened up for him. And at this moment, there is not a single mechanism of pressure on Kurti, especially in the next six months, unless he makes a mistake,” Mijacic said.

He added that the Americans have suspended the strategic dialogue with Pristina and cut funding, but that they also lack a mechanism to threaten him.

“These are not the 1990s, when they could send planes to bomb you. The international community does not have strong mechanisms of pressure, and on the other hand, everyone has their own interests,” Mijacic emphasized.

He also added that one of the problems is that no one is willing to do Serbia a favor.

“Serbia’s position at this moment is quite unpopular in the international community, including the EU, so no one wants to do Serbia any favors. But everyone recognizes that Serbia is the most important country in the Western Balkans, so no one wants to antagonize Serbia too much either. I am talking about both Europe and the United States,” Mijacic said.

He believes that Serbs in Kosovo, at this moment, must defend themselves through legal means and diplomatic activities.

“A legal service must be established to protect the interests of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as political institutions of importance to Serbs in Kosovo. Local self-government units will face major problems in implementing their acts because central authorities will restrict their actions. This can only be resolved through legal mechanisms and through talks with international actors. That is the strategy that must be applied in the period ahead,” Mijacic concluded.