The planned visit of Derek Chollet, senior advisor to the United States Department of State, with an American delegation to the Balkans has been postponed, according to the Kosovo Presidency.
Bekim Kupina, media advisor to the Presidency, confirmed that the visit, initially scheduled for July 30 with Kosovar state leaders, has been delayed for objective reasons. The postponement applies to the entire Balkan tour, including visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, due to unforeseen issues involving one of the delegation members.
Chollet previously visited Kosovo and other Balkan countries in January this year, expressing the United States’ interest in a proposal from the Kosovo Government for the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities.
In 2013 and 2015, Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement and established the principles for the Association. However, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo later ruled that the agreement did not fully comply with the country’s Constitution.
While Serbia insists on Kosovo implementing the agreements, the Kosovo Government remains opposed to the formation of an ethnically homogeneous association.
Meanwhile, tensions in Kosovo have escalated following the appointment of new Albanian mayors in the predominantly Serb-inhabited municipalities of Zvecan, Leposavic, and Zubin Potok.
The Serbian community and the Serb List, representing the interests of Serbs in Kosovo, boycotted the April elections and rejected the newly appointed mayors.
The situation worsened as clashes erupted between protesters and NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) members.
In response to the situation, the international community urged Kosovo and Serbia to de-escalate tensions and return to the negotiation table.
On July 10, Kosovo reached an agreement with the EU to reduce tensions, including plans for new elections in the northern region.
However, Prime Minister Albin Kurti recently emphasized that new elections could only proceed after a complete de-escalation in the north.
Kurti stated during a press conference that any process to end the mandate of the northern mayors must have adequate legal and procedural support and guarantees.
Minister of Local Government Administration Elbert Krasniqi suggested the possibility of snap elections if 20 percent of voters in a municipality signed a petition for the mayor’s removal. The petition would then be sent to the Central Election Commission (CEC) for verification, leading to a referendum on whether to remove the mayor.
