United States Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier told journalist Ilva Tare in her show “Balkans Debrief” that there is no time to waste for the implementation of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities. He reads between the lines of the President of France, the Prime Minister of Italy and the Chancellor of Germany when they use words such as “urgent, rapid and soon”.
To proceed with the agreement, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti wants to sign the papers, both with the Serbian President, Alexander Vučić. But for the U.S. representative, the commitment is enough and the rest is only distraction.
He clarifies the U.S. position, “Serbia has entered into these obligations and made a commitment to do so, as has Kosovo. And we think there’s a bit of a distraction on this question of signatures rather than moving forward to implement and execute by both sides”.
As for the United States, Ambassador Hovenier stresses that the actual draft “conforms with the Constitutional Court decision, it does not create executive authorities or powers for the Association. This is not an autonomous province within Kosovo”.
Jeffrey Hovenier also addressed the terrorist attack in Banjska, north Kosovo in late September. One Kosovar police officer was killed and the US sees it as “coordinated, consolidated, sophisticated effort to train and equip paramilitary forces with sophisticated munitions, with the intention potentially of destabilizing the region, and the north in particular, the north of Kosovo”.
Hovenier says that “it was a direct threat to Kosovo’s security and sovereignty, and it was obviously a tragedy”.
Regarding the lawsuit for genocide against Serbia brought by Kosovo, Hovenier called on “both parties to be more focused on the future than the past”, as he understands that the past is not to be forgotten for the violations of international humanitarian law or war crimes.
“There is still a need for justice in this region and we accept that”, concluded the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo in his interview for “Balkans Debrief”.
You can watch the full interview here.
