Kosovo: the second round of the elections, a success… to be confirmed!
(BRUSSELS2) Satisfaction dominates European diplomacy after the second round of elections in Kosovo, organized on Sunday 1 December. The reports of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and UNMIK (United Nations mission in Kosovo) are formal: no incident to report! And yet it was not won, after a stormy first round in the north of the country (read: Violence erupts in elections in northern Kosovo (update))
An important but not decisive step
Diplomats point to a positive balance sheet. It's about a “an important step both for the process of normalizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina and for the strengthening of democratic institutions in Kosovo” says le spokesperson for the Secretary General of the United Nations, but there is still work to be done, in particular on " the establishment of the Community of Serbian Municipalities in Kosovo and the integration of the judicial police and structures in northern Kosovo” he added.
Next: December 5
As for the High Representative of the EU, Catherine Ashton, "very satisfied with the atmosphere of [this] second round", she arranged to meet the Serbian and Kosovar Prime Ministers in Brussels for a new dialogue on 5 December. “We will discuss how to move towards the implementation of the April agreement she suggested before adding: “this will be important in particular in view of the presentation of my next report on the Dialogue to the Council in December (19-20 December) ».
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