Press release, 10 November 2022

On 9 November 2022 Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted Statement on the escalation of the situation in the Republic of Kosovo:

 „The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,

having regard to the escalation of the situation in the Republic of Kosovo, created by the massive resignation of the Serbs of Kosovo from the police, courts, local administration and other institutions in response to coming into force of the decision adopted by the Government of the Republic of Kosovo to launch re-registration of vehicles that bear the licence plates of the Republic of Serbia by replacing them with licence plates registered in the Republic of Kosovo;

noting that this situation jeopardises the EU-supported dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and the security in the region and beyond;

observing the malicious efforts to destabilise the situation in Kosovo and create more tensions in the region through provocative actions such as the burning of vehicles already re-registered by Serbs in Kosovo;

stressing that the path of Kosovo and Serbia to the European Union must be based on mutual respect and pursuit of peace and stability,

• calls on Serbia and Kosovo to make every effort to normalise their relations, comply with the commitments made in the format of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, and pull back from unilateral actions that could lead to further escalation;
• calls on representatives of the Serbs in Kosovo to return to Kosovo’s institutions for carrying out their duties; and
• calls on the political leaders of both sides to publicly condemn the violent provocations, to eschew intimidating rhetoric and to call on the public to refrain from any action that could lead to violence and confrontation;

expresses its support for the independence of the Republic of Kosovo and its membership of international organisations, including full membership of the Council of Europe, and invites the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly to urgently consider the application of the Republic of Kosovo for membership of the Council of Europe.”

Office of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs

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