Stano: Kosovo authorities should consult and refrain from unilateral actions

The spokesperson for the EU, Peter Stano, called on the Kosovo authorities today to consult and refrain from unilateral actions.

Stano stated that during the past aweek, at least two instances of actions had raised concerns within the EU.

"One was the CBK decision, and the other was the action of the Kosovo Police in some Serbian areas in northern Kosovo. These steps are worrying as they do not contribute to de-escalating the situation and are usually uncoordinated, taken unilaterally without the necessary level of consultation to prevent a negative impact on people on the ground. The EU issued a statement last week, and you have seen the statement from the European Commission, as well as international partners. It is concerning that these unilateral actions lead to something we do not want to see, a worsening of the situation on the ground," Stano said.

The spokesperson for the European Union reiterated the importance of returning to dialogue under the auspices of Brussels.

"High Representative Lajcak is working hard with partners in the region and the EU and across the international community. Both sides should start behaving constructively and return to the negotiating table to discuss important issues without unilateral actions. At the moment, I am not able to announce a date for any upcoming activities, but we hope that at some point, we will be able to announce a high-level meeting, usually a meeting between the Prime Ministers and Presidents from Kosovo and Serbia. I have nothing to announce at the moment; we really appeal, in this case, to the Kosovo authorities to engage in the consultation process and avoid unilateral moves as they have counterproductive consequences," Stano said.