Kosovo not allowing the Serbian elections to be organised in the same manner as previous elections is disappointing, said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre after meeting his Kosovo counterpart Albin Kurti on Monday.
“This can only be resolved through the EU-led dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. Existing agreements must be implemented and both parties must refrain from actions that diminish trust between them”, said Støre, adding that stability in the Western Balkans cannot be taken for granted.
Norway recognised Kosovo as an independent state on 28 March 2008, a month after Serbia declared independence. Some countries still refuse to recognise Kosovo as an independent state.
Serbia has been able to regularly hold elections in Kosovo – a neighboring country it refuses to recognize since Kosovo declared independence in 2008 after a brutal war waged against it in 1998-1999.
Previous governments had allowed poll centers to open in Kosovo’s north where Kosovo Serbs reside, while the OSCE took care of collecting ballot boxes after the vote.
In January 2022, the parliament of Kosovo approved a resolution calling on the government to prevent Serbia from ever holding elections in the country.
It stated that Serbian elections held in Kosovo “violate the sovereignty and constitutional order of the Republic of Kosovo, are contrary to the Constitution, the laws of the Republic of Kosovo, as well as international norms and practices.”
Prime Minister Albin Kurti stressed that his government doesn’t oppose the right of Kosovo Serbs to vote in Serbian elections, but the process should not violate Kosovo’s constitution and sovereignty.
He also said that Serbia must present a formal request so that the two countries reach an official agreement. Serbia refuses to proceed with such a request, as it would be tantamount to recognizing Kosovo’s independence.
