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The Embassy of Germany in Pristina has confirmed that it has temporarily stopped cooperation with Kosovo in certain areas, due to non-fulfillment of the requirements of the European Union for the extension of the situation in the north of Kosovo.
This measure - which Germany says it took in accordance with the actions of Brussels - does not affect "projects with the civil society sector, as well as projects that we have started to implement".
"Measures include the postponement of government consultations on development cooperation, the suspension of an anticipated bilateral climate partnership and the delivery of specific equipment to security providers," said the German Embassy's response.
At the end of June, the EU announced that it had imposed some temporary punitive measures against Kosovo, since the country's Government did not take the steps required by the European bloc to escalate the situation in the north.
In that part of Kosovo, inhabited by a majority of Serbs, tensions have been high since the end of May, when the new Albanian mayors of the municipalities entered their offices, despite the resistance and protest of the Serbian residents.
Their protests escalated into violent clashes, with dozens injured - including soldiers from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission in Kosovo, KFOR.
Kosovo has not yet taken any steps, despite calls from the international community to recall the Albanian leaders and organize new elections.
EU requirements for Kosovo and Serbia:
The high representative of the EU for foreign policy and security, Josep Borrell, on June 22 presented the demands of the European bloc for Kosovo and Serbia, regarding the extension of the situation in the north:
Kosovo is requested to immediately suspend police operations in the vicinity of municipal buildings in the north and that the four municipal mayors temporarily exercise their duties in alternative facilities
Serbia is requested to ensure that the protesters are withdrawn from the municipal buildings in parallel with the withdrawal of the Kosovo Police
Both countries are requested to announce early local elections, as soon as possible, in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, with the unconditional participation of Kosovo Serbs in them.
In the past, Belgrade has played a key role in the participation of Serbs in the elections organized in Kosovo
The EU temporarily suspended the work of all working groups for the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) - which is the first step towards membership in the bloc - as well as invitations for Kosovo's participation in high-level meetings.
Both the EU and Germany have emphasized that these measures are temporary and can be removed if Kosovo takes the required steps to resolve the situation.
"We would like to emphasize that all projects affected (by these measures) can be restarted at any moment. For this, the urgent implementation of the necessary measures to de-escalate the situation in the municipalities in the north is required", says the response of the German Embassy./REL
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