Brnabić at the UN: It is incorrect that Pristina is committed to dialogue and that there is rule of law in Kosovo

Last night, at the end of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session on Kosovo, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić tried to prove that Pristina is not constructive and committed to dialogue with Belgrade and that the position of the Serbs is significantly worse than what the Kosovo authorities represent.

During the discussion at the session, where the six-month report of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the work of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) was discussed, Brnabić said that there are big differences between the practice, that is, the conditions on the ground, and what Pristina claims about democracy and governance. rights in Kosovo.

"We heard from (President of Kosovo Vjosa) Osmani that Kosovo is constructive and committed to dialogue, but we did not hear why Kosovo did not implement the Brussels Agreement (from 2013) and why it did not establish the Union of Serbian Municipalities (USO) for more than 10 years. This shows how constructive and committed to dialogue Kosovo really is," said Brnabić.

Brnabić stated that Belgrade "did everything it committed to" in the Brussels dialogue, and that Pristina "did not use a single word", with the assessment that this "speaks sufficiently of its constructiveness".

The Prime Minister of Serbia also said that the Serbs in Kosovo have the right of veto on paper, which is not respected in practice.

"When the parliament (of Kosovo) decided on the formation of the Kosovo Security Forces, the Serbs did not vote, and this should mean that the Kosovo Security Forces cannot be formed. But they were formed, despite that. This is how the Serbian veto works in practice ", she stated.

Brnabić also cited the example of the Visoki Dečani monastery, which she said was among the seven most endangered cultural heritage sites in Europe in 2021, according to data from the Europa Nostra organization.

"The decision of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo from May 2016, that the Visoki Dečani monastery is the owner of several hectares of land, has not yet been implemented. For more than 20 years, that monastery has been the only religious location in the world that is under the protection of military forces, KFOR, so much about security," she added.

She also referred to the claim that Kosovo is a "bright example of democracy and the rule of law", asking how it is then possible that Kosovo is "the world champion in terms of the smallest number of returnees of all post-conflict territories" in the world.

"When they are so fantastic, when they are a bright example, when there is rule of law and security, and the right of veto, how come people don't come back? Because they are arrested when they come back. And how long they will stay in prison, no one knows. On average, 21 months, almost two years," said Brnabić.