Thank you, Mr Chair.
Firstly, I would like to welcome Ambassador McGurk – dear Gerard – to the Permanent Council for the first time as Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo. Thank you for your informative presentation on the Mission’s recent work, so soon after your arrival, and to your team for the comprehensive written report.
The United Kingdom welcomes the peaceful and competitive parliamentary elections held in Kosovo in February, and the important support provided to the Central Election Commission by the Mission. We continue to underline to Kosovo interlocutors the urgency of government formation.
Mr Chair, the United Kingdom shares the concerns highlighted in the Mission report on the level of tensions in the four northern municipalities during the reporting period. We are particularly concerned by the uncoordinated nature of closures of institutions and facilities in northern Kosovo which provide vital services to Kosovo-Serbs and other non-majority communities. The UK will continue to encourage the Government of Kosovo to ensure that non-majority communities can play a full and equal role in the country’s future, and to uphold Kosovo’s commitments as an inclusive and multi-ethnic state.
The UK also underlines the importance of ensuring justice and accountability for all acts of violence. We continue to call on Serbia to cooperate fully with efforts to hold to account those responsible for the 2023 attacks on KFOR troops and in Banjska, and to fulfil its pledge to cooperate in the investigation of the attack on the Ibar-Lepenc Canal.
We urge both Kosovo and Serbia to engage constructively in the EU-facilitated Dialogue and to deliver on their respective obligations, including establishing an Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities. It is vital that Kosovo and Serbia abide by their commitments and not renege on Dialogue agreements. Failing to meet these commitments has negative implications for the daily lives of ordinary citizens and for wider stability in the Western Balkans.
The UK commends the work of the OSCE Mission during the last six months across the three core pillars of its mandate. We particularly appreciate the Mission’s focus on electoral support, and continued prioritisation of monitoring and early warning functions. We also value the Mission’s support on human rights and inter-community relations, including on interfaith dialogue and assistance to the Kosovo-Serb community in language and documentation. We welcome ongoing efforts to address challenges to the right to freedom of religion or belief and the preservation of cultural heritage.
While we recognise Kosovo’s progress in tackling corruption and its improved score in Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index, we note with concern the issues highlighted in the World Press Freedom Index on the protection and independence of journalists. We share the concerns highlighted in the Report over political influence in media institutions, and welcome the Mission’s planned activity to advance media freedom and journalist safety.
Mr Chair, the United Kingdom is a longstanding and strong supporter of Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state. During his visit to Kosovo in early April, my Foreign Secretary reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to supporting Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations and its development of an inclusive, diverse and multi-ethnic democracy. The UK will continue to support stability, security and economic cooperation in the Western Balkans, including through the work of our Special Envoy, Dame Karen Pierce, and hosting the Berlin Process Summit in London this autumn.
Finally, I wanted to again thank you, dear Gerard, for taking on the leadership of the Mission at this critical time. We highly appreciate the continued hard work and expertise of your team, and wish you every success during your time in the role.
