In response to a query from The Pavlovic Today regarding the Kosovo Central Bank’s decision to suspend the Serbian dinar on February 1, 2024, the State Department issued a stern warning to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
“We urge the Government of Kosovo to revisit this decision, consult with the affected communities, respond to the concerns expressed by the international community, and provide ample time for its decisions to be implemented in order to mitigate the impact those decisions will have on its citizens,” a State Department spokesperson told The Pavlovic Today on Tuesday evening.
Expressing the US apprehenison about the Kosovo Central Bank regulation, the spokesperson stated, “We are concerned that regulation adopted on December 27 will negatively impact the ethnic Serb community in Kosovo.”
The State Department underscored that, in accordance with Kosovo law and the commitments made under the Ahtisaari Plan, Serbia “has the right to provide financial assistance to members of the ethnic Serb community in Kosovo.”
Key Provisions of the Settlement in the Ahtisaari Plan stipulate that the “Serb-majority communities will have extensive financial autonomy and will be able to accept transparent funding from Serbia and to take part in inter-municipal partnerships and cross-boundary cooperation with Serbian institutions.”
We are concerned that regulation adopted on December 27 will negatively impact the ethnic Serb community in Kosovo.
State Departmant spokesperson
In a notably strong diplomatic stance, the State Department reminded Prime Minister Albin Kurti of the legally binding commitments Kosovo made.
“This is why we continue to urge Kosovo to fulfill its commitment to establish an Association of Serb-majority Municipalities (ASM),” said the spokesperson.
“The ASM is the primary mechanism through which Serbia could transparently provide financial support to institutions and individuals under Kosovo’s legal framework,” the spokesperson further clarified.
The State Department emphasized that individuals in Kosovo who “legitimately receive financial assistance from Serbia need access to a functioning, legal mechanism through which they can receive that support.”
The spokesperson concluded by emphasizing that institutions delivering vital services, such as education and health, “must be able to continue their operations.”
