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The German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, has denied the statements of the Serbian List regarding the integration of educational and health institutions into the Kosovo system.
Through a post on social media, Rohde said that the statement made the day before by the Serbian List that the integration of these institutions has never been part of any negotiations or agreement, "is simply not true."
"The agreement signed on April 19, 2013 included six points for the creation of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, while the recent Ohrid agreement regarding the roadmap for the implementation of the agreement signed in 2013 clearly states that the integration of these institutions into the Kosovo system will take place under the auspices of the Association," said Rohde.
According to the German ambassador, such "ambiguous" interpretations of legally binding international documents "increase tensions at such a sensitive time before the local elections on October 12, when local Serbian communities are expected to elect their representatives."
"Therefore, I call on everyone to refrain from such arbitrary, malicious statements that could harm democratic processes, such as the upcoming elections," Rohde said.
Rohde referred to the 2013 Agreement establishing the Association and the Ohrid Agreement reached in 2023. Kosovo has not yet established the Association, while the Ohrid Agreement – which also provides for a level of self-management for the Serbian community in Kosovo – has not yet been implemented.
On September 18, the Serbian List – the main Serb party that enjoys the support of Belgrade – said that “all international agreements clearly state that these are separate systems.”
All health institutions in Serbian settings in Kosovo operate within the framework of the Serbian system.
The Serbian List said that healthcare and education are "the pillars of the survival of the Serbian people and will remain so."
Meanwhile, the leader of the Serbian List, Zlatan Ellek, during a protest held on Friday reiterated the party's position that there will be no integration of Serbia's health and education system into the Kosovo system, adding that such a thing is not foreseen in any international agreement between Pristina and Belgrade.
But Kosovo is working to integrate these institutions into a single system, the acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, stated in a video message on September 18.
Kosovo authorities last week suspended the work of the Health Insurance Fund in North Mitrovica, on the grounds that this institution did not have valid documentation to carry out its activities.
At the same time, the work of the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund was also suspended.
These decisions prompted reactions from Germany and the European Union, which called on Kosovo authorities to immediately refrain from "targeting" health institutions operating in the Serbian system.
They urged that unilateral steps not be taken, emphasizing that consultation with the Serbian community is necessary.
Following these reactions, the acting Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, denied that official Pristina intends to close health institutions, emphasizing that local inspectors had "temporarily" suspended the work of the Health Insurance Fund.
Kosovo authorities consider Serbia's institutions in Kosovo parallel and illegal. Their closure began in early 2024, but these actions have met with opposition from the Serbian community and have faced criticism from the international community.
The chargé d'affaires at the US Embassy in Pristina, Anu Prattipati, on September 4 declared to a group of media outlets reporting in Serbian that all parallel institutions of Serbia, including educational and health institutions, should be integrated into the Kosovo system./ REL
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