Mijacic: Shutting down institutions funded by Serbia would call into question multiethnic coexistence in Kosovo

The Coordinator of the National Convention for Chapter 35, Dragisa Mijacic, warned that shutting down educational institutions in Kosovo funded by Serbia would endanger the Serbian and other non-majority communities in Kosovo. He called on the international community to insist on the implementation of the Brussels Dialogue and the establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (CSM) in order to protect the region’s multiethnic stability.

In a post on the social network X, Mijacic stated that official data from the Serbian Ministry of Education show that more than 21,500 children and pupils in Kosovo attend educational institutions organized and financed by the Government of Serbia, while more than 7,000 professors, teachers, and technical staff are employed in educational institutions funded by Serbia in communities where Serbs are not the majority.

“Institutions supported by Serbia provide education for all children of Serbian nationality in Kosovo, for the majority of Gorani, as well as for a portion of Bosniak and Roma pupils. The Government of Kosovo does not offer any alternative. These institutions are also an important employer in Serb-majority areas. Despite agreements reached within the framework of the Brussels Dialogue, the Government of Kosovo is threatening to close educational institutions funded by Serbia. It all began with the ban on the dinar, continued with the rejection of Serbia’s license plates, and is currently being implemented through the rigid enforcement of the Law on Foreigners, planned for March 15,” Mijacic said.

He added that the sustainability of the Serbian and other non-majority communities (such as the Gorani) largely depends on the education sector (and healthcare), and that shutting down institutions funded by Serbia would call into question multiethnic coexistence in Kosovo and could trigger long-term regional instability.

Mijacic called on the international community to insist on the implementation of the Brussels Dialogue and the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities in order to secure the future of Serbian educational and healthcare institutions in Kosovo.

“This is yet another call for the EU Special Representative for the Dialogue to remain committed to the Brussels Dialogue and to bring both sides to the negotiating table in order to discuss the establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (CSM), based on the draft Statute prepared by the EU, which defines the future of educational and healthcare institutions funded by Serbia in Kosovo. This is also a call on Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, and Giorgia Meloni to remain committed to their demand that the Government of Kosovo initiate the procedure for establishing the ASM, in accordance with the new draft European Statute. At the same time, this is a reminder to the U.S. State Department to hold the Government of Kosovo accountable for its promise to ensure and preserve the constitutional rights of the Serbian community in Kosovo, as a guarantee of Kosovo’s multiethnic character,” he emphasized.

Mijacic stressed that the fate of the remaining approximately 100,000 Serbs in Kosovo will determine the future of the Western Balkans.

“There are many larger problems in the world than the fate of the approximately 100,000 Serbs who remain in Kosovo. Nevertheless, their fate will determine the future of the Western Balkans — whether we will live in peace or remain trapped in an endless vortex of disputes and hostilities. March 15 is not just another date in Kosovo’s recent history — it will demonstrate your determination to protect the rights of Serbs and other non-majority communities to live in Kosovo,” he stated.