Congresswoman Tenney Sends Letter to Prime Minister Kurti, Urges him to De-escalate Tensions in Northern Kosovo
Cleveland, NY – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today sent a letter to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti urging him to take swift actions to address the escalating tensions in Northern Kosovo and the lack of progress in implementing the 2013 Brussels Agreement.
For over a decade, Kosovo has failed to uphold its promises made under the 2013 Brussels Agreement, including creating an Association of Serb-majority Municipalities. In protest of this failure, Kosovo Serbs boycotted the April 2023 mayoral elections held in Serb-majority communities, leading to a less than four percent turnout rate. Prime Minister Kurti then called in special police to forcibly install these mayors, who were elected without a clear mandate. Instead of working to de-escalate tensions, Prime Minister Kurti has chosen to continue stoking the flames.
The continued infringement on the rights of the Kosovo Serbs, an ethnic minority group in Northern Kosovo, has significantly destabilized the region. To address this, Tenney’s letter urges the Prime Minister to host new mayoral elections in Serb-majority communities, a complete withdrawal of special forces from these municipalities, and the creation of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities, in accordance with the 2013 Brussels Agreement.
“The rights and safety of Kosovo Serbs are of paramount importance, and it is imperative that Prime Minister Kurti's administration takes immediate steps to address the growing unrest in Northern Kosovo,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “I am gravely concerned about the escalating tensions in Northern Kosovo and the lack of progress in implementing the 2013 Brussels Agreement. Today, I sent a letter calling for new mayoral elections, the withdrawal of Kosovan special forces, and the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities as stated in the agreement. In order to create a peaceful coexistence between Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs in the region, Prime Minister Kurti must live up to his obligations by fully implementing and enforcing the 2013 Brussels Agreement."
View the full letter here.
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