Odalovic: I hope for a prompt meeting of the Commission, families of the missing deserve answers and truth

The President of the Government's Commission for Missing Persons, Veljko Odalovic, expressed hope that the Joint Commission for implementing the Declaration on Missing Persons would begin its work very soon because both Serbian and Albanian families deserve answers and the truth.

"The Declaration on Missing Persons was practically agreed upon a year and a half ago between President Vucic and Albin Kurti, and its implementation depends on whether and when this Joint Commission begins its work, as it has been identified in the Declaration. The most important thing is that the Working Group can return to its mandate," Odalovic told Kosovo Online.

Recalling that the Working Group on Missing Persons was established under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General and in accordance with Resolution 1244, Odalovic emphasizes that it was a mechanism that functioned well until four years ago.

"Four years ago, Albin Kurti unilaterally interrupted this process, and we practically haven't had this function for four years. The Declaration identified the Working Group as the only body mandated to deal with missing persons, while the Joint Commission, expected to be operational next month, is practically a support mechanism for the Working Group," Odalovic explained.

He emphasizes that the Joint Commission would be the body addressing all issues and topics where full agreement cannot be reached beforehand, or where both Pristina and Belgrade assess they need external assistance.

Odalovic notes that it is up to the International Committee of the Red Cross to schedule a meeting at which representatives of the Belgrade and Pristina delegations would convene.

"We need to put on the table the issues that have accumulated over these four years: many pieces of information and many questions that require answers. The mechanism of the Working Group is in place, but since there have been no meetings, we lack answers, agreed-upon planned activities, and timelines for their implementation. Now we need to revive this mechanism of the Working Group," Odalovic specified.

He reminds that the efforts of the Working Group had resolved more than 1,800 cases of missing persons, over 80% of whom were Kosovo Albanians.

Odalovic stresses that with Kurti's unilateral decision, this process came to a halt.

"A mechanism that yielded results, established straightforward rules, and a general framework was halted. Stopping it was utterly irrational and a very poor decision, especially for the families of the missing, who had hoped that when the Declaration was adopted and agreed upon in Ohrid, we would gain new momentum," Odalovic said.

Asked whether he expects the Joint Commission to overcome the four-year pause and disagreements, the President of Serbia's Government Commission for Missing Persons stated that the Declaration on Missing Persons, through its agreed-upon text of joint rules, provides a framework for how work will be conducted, with the European Union serving as a guarantor of its implementation.

"I hope we will have that meeting soon. I have called on representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross to contact Pristina so we can agree on a meeting date and agenda and begin working. When we encounter problems in our work – issues we cannot resolve or agree on – we will delegate them to this Joint Commission. The Joint Commission, through its mechanisms, which are more powerful than those of the Working Group, can assist and support us in our efforts," Odalovic concluded.