Serbia’s Minister of Labour, Veterans and Social Affairs, Nemanja Starovic, said that some of the measures approved by the Serbian Government on September 14, aimed at helping Serbs in Kosovo, will begin to be implemented in early November.

“We have clear demands that we have addressed to the international community, which are grounded and explained, that require a return to the ‘status quo’, before [Kosovo Prime Minister] Albin Kurti broke and overturned the Brussels Agreement implementing his unilateral measures,” he said, Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) reported.

The new tensions between Kosovo and Serbia come after the authorities in Kosovo in recent weeks have closed several Serbian parallel institutions, which they consider unconstitutional and illegal.

Belgrade has described these actions as “criminal acts” aimed at “deporting Serbs”.

The European Union, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Germany have criticized Kosovo’s actions to close five parallel Serbian institutions on August 30, calling them unilateral and uncoordinated actions.

The Government of Kosovo estimates that with its actions it is only aiming to extend sovereignty to the entire territory of the state.

The package of measures, which the Serbian Government approved on September 14, has a political and legal dimension, but also a socio-economic dimension, Starovic told RTS, adding that a number of departments have accepted clear tasks with concrete measures that include socio-economic packages.

He said that the package includes 20,000 dinars (about 170 euros) of aid for 5,000 people, families in Kosovo in severe economic conditions, and 60,000 dinars (about 500 euros) for 300 unemployed people.

He said that all Serbian students in Kosovo will receive textbooks free of charge and will also be given food items.

“We are building two new nurseries in Kosovo, we are rebuilding and fixing a number of nurseries, sports halls, several sports fields and that’s not all,” said Starovic.

According to him, some of the measures will start to be implemented at the beginning of November, some in December, while some others will have to wait until January 1, 2025.

Starovic said that the package of measures also includes the employment of 100 health workers, additional investments in the Hospital Clinical Center in North Mitrovica and subsidies for small and medium businesses and farmers.