Rudolph on the implementation of the Law on Foreigners: There must be no disruption of services in healthcare and education

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Rainer Rudolph, speaking about the implementation of the laws on foreigners and vehicles, told RTK2 that there must be no disruption of services in healthcare and education, and that the international community is closely cooperating with institutions to ensure that the law is implemented in a way that does not disrupt everyday life.

“No one is questioning that Kosovo’s laws should be applied throughout the entire territory. However, this must be done in a way that does not disrupt the everyday lives of citizens,” Rudolph said for RTK2.

The German ambassador to Kosovo emphasized the importance of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

“The dialogue aims to resolve issues from past conflicts. It is key to progress toward membership in the European Union,” Rudolph said.

He added that progress in implementing agreements is directly linked to the quality of life of citizens.

“It is important that citizens feel improvements in their everyday lives,” Rudolph said, citing as a concrete example discussions with representatives of the Serbian community regarding the implementation of the laws on foreigners and vehicles.

“In the north, in talks with four mayors and their teams, we discussed how this would affect their voters. I was encouraged when they said they would call on citizens to cooperate with institutions in implementing the law. We are now seeing this in practice,” the German ambassador stated.

The ambassador stressed that the legal framework in Kosovo provides strong protection of minority rights, but that what matters is how those rights are applied in practice.

“It is important that this protection is felt in everyday life. All citizens must feel safe, regardless of their ethnic background,” Rudolph said.

Speaking about relations between Kosovo and Germany, Rudolph described them as “excellent,” with a clear strategic goal.

“Our goal is to bring Kosovo closer to the European Union and ultimately to see it as a member,” Rudolph said.

He emphasized that Germany supports development across various sectors – from energy to transport – as well as the work of institutions, including the police and judiciary.

Speaking about the role of RTK and its Serbian-language channel, he stated: “It is an extremely important task – not only to inform, but also to connect communities through dialogue.”