The foreign ministers of Kosovo and Serbia traded accusations about each other’s countries during a United Nations Security Council meeting late Tuesday, where the Council discussed the six-month report of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
Kosovo’s acting Foreign Minister, Donika Gërvalla, said that Serbia “has not changed” and continues efforts to destabilize Kosovo’s democracy, “not only through rhetoric but also through concrete and violent actions that endanger peace and security in the region.”
Serbia’s Foreign Minister, Marko Gjurić, claimed that the situation for Serbs in Kosovo is “deteriorating” and that “Serbs are paying the price.”
Gërvalla stated that “in September 2023, Kosovo was the target of an armed incursion by a paramilitary group supported by Serbia and led by Milan Radoičić.”
“Banjska was a paramilitary act by one state against another; the Ibër-Lepenc incident was a military-grade attack on critical infrastructure,” she added.
One police officer and three gunmen were killed in September 2023 when Kosovo Police were attacked by a group of armed Serbs in northern Kosovo. Milan Radoičić, the former vice-president of the Serb List – a party supported by Belgrade – claimed responsibility for the attack.
Kosovo accuses Serbia of orchestrating the Banjska attack and a subsequent explosion that damaged a water canal in late 2024. Serbia denies the allegations.
Gërvalla reiterated the call for Serbia to extradite Radoičić, who has been indicted by Kosovo’s authorities.
Meanwhile, Gjurić criticized the Kosovo government for what he described as “unilateral actions by Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s government.”
“In recent months, Pristina has escalated its campaign to systematically dismantle Serbian institutions throughout ‘Kosovo and Metohija’. These are not symbolic gestures; they have direct consequences for people. Salaries, pensions, and social aid for thousands of Serbian families have been cut. Means of survival for many of our compatriots are at risk,” said Gjurić.
Kosovo has closed most of the Serbian-run institutions in the past year, arguing their operations were illegal. Nonetheless, Belgrade has continued to pay salaries.
Serbs in Kosovo often receive various forms of income from Serbia’s budget, including salaries, pensions, child and parental allowances, and social assistance.
Gjurić claimed that Serbs are fleeing Kosovo and that attacks against them have increased, without providing evidence.
“Since Kurti came to power, 20% of Serbs have left Kosovo. Attacks against Serbs have increased by 15%. Let’s not forget that over 200,000 Serbs have been displaced since 1999 and only 2% have returned,” he said.
He also demanded that Kosovo establish the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities as a solution to the challenges Serbs face in Kosovo.
“When will the Association be established? Kurti’s actions clearly show there is no will for this,” Gjurić stated.
He concluded by saying that “dialogue remains the only sustainable path forward, but it must be built on trust.”
