Representatives of the civil society organizacions and the media from the Serbian community in Kosovo, members of the Empirika platform, call all parties to peacefully resolve the crisis in the north of Kosovo that arose due to the announcement of the start of the implementation of the decision on the re-registration of Serbian license plates (with signs of cities in Kosovo) on the RKS and the establishment of reciprocity on identity cards issued by the Republic of Serbia.
We call on the governments in Belgrade and Priština/Prishtinë to refrain from any unilateral moves and to replace inflammatory rhetoric with constructive dialogue, which is the only way to find a sustainable solution that will respect the needs of citizens.
We call on the international community, the EU, the USA, and the Quint group countries to immediately and as soon as possible establish a space for dialogue at the political level, while insisting on direct contact between the delegations of Belgrade and Priština/Prishtinë.
We invite Srpska Lista to, as a member of the Government of Kosovo, the Assembly of Kosovo and other local and central institutions, take responsibility and an active part in solving this problem, and to establish an institutional channel of communication with the Prime Minister of Kosovo in addition to communication with Belgrade, which is the only right way of being politically responsible. MPs and ministers of Srpska Lista are the only political representatives of Kosovo Serbs in institutions in Kosovo, and therefore it is necessary to replace passive action with a proactive role in solving problems that directly affect citizens. In that process, it is necessary to establish direct and uninterrupted communication with the local population, the non-governmental sector and all relevant actors of the Kosovo Serb community.
We remind the government in Priština/Prishtinë that in this situation of increased tensions, it is a special obligation of the competent authorities to publish all information, documents, announcements in all official languages in Kosovo and to make them reach all citizens in Kosovo. In this way, all ambiguities, misinformation and false or distorted news, which can threaten the general peace and safety of the individual, will be prevented.
The lack of communication with local communities and the engagement of special police units have directly influenced the rise of tensions in the north of Kosovo and threaten to deepen the high level of mistrust between the two most numerous ethnic communities in Kosovo, so instead of a constructive dialogue, energy and space are directed at destabilizing the situation on the ground and forced solutions that are often to the detriment of citizens.
We, the representatives of the civil society organizations and the media from the Serbian community in Kosovo, as activists and citizens, want the hatred, tension and instability to end, and through dialogue and by solving problems together establish conditions for common life, cooperation and prosperity.
Signatories:
Center for Peace and Tolerance (CPT)
Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC)
Forum for Development and Multiethnic Cooperation (FDMC)
Gorazhdevac Media Group
Humanitarian Center Mitrovica
Communication for Social Development (CSD)
NGO ACTIV
Youth Partesh Activity
RTV KIM
Radio Contact Plus
Lighthouse
