April 8, 2025
I thank the Special Representative, Ms. Caroline Ziadeh, for her presentation and assure her of France’s full support for her duty. I welcome the presence of His Excellency Mr. Marko Djuric, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, and Her Excellency Ms. Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo.
France applauds the holding of the parliamentary elections in Kosovo on February 9. They took place without any major security incidents. They were competitive and inclusive, as reported by the European Union electoral observation mission.
France applauds the participation of the Serbs of Kosovo. We hope that a government will be rapidly constituted in order to make progress in the implementation of the Brussels-Ohrid agreements, our priority.
1/ Serbia and Kosovo are aware of France’s constant commitment, alongside Germany, to help normalize their relations.
This normalization is an essential condition for their integration into the European Union, to which the populations of both countries aspire.
On February 1st, Mr. Peter Sørensen was appointed the new European Union Special Representative responsible for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. He is being tasked for generating new momentum for dialogue in order to reaching an agreement that will settle the differences between the two countries in a lasting and definitive manner. This is also the objective of this Council.
2/ In order to achieve this normalization, France urges Serbia and Kosovo to respect the commitments made under the Brussels-Ohrid agreements.
However, on January 15, the Kosovar government announced the closure of Serbian administrative structures in Kosovo. This decision is detrimental to the daily life of the Serbs in Kosovo. France deplores this unilateral action and reiterates that the status of Serbian structures must be resolved through the establishment of the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities (ASMM) on the basis of the draft European statute. France will continue to monitor the situation of the Serbian population of Kosovo.
Preserving the multi-ethnic nature of Kosovar society requires the restoration of representative democracy in northern Kosovo. In this regard, France calls on the Serbs of Kosovo to resume their active participation in local governance, maintenance of public order and the judicial system.
Furthermore, it is unacceptable that the perpetrators of the Banjska attack remain at large. They must be brought to justice.
France condemns the attack on November 29, 2024, against the Ibër-Lepenc canal in Zubin Potok and urges the parties to shed full light on the circumstances of the attack. It welcomes the Serbian President’s commitment to support the investigations and invites the Serbian authorities to fully cooperate with the European Union’s judicial assistance mechanism.
3/ France also applauds the work of UNMIK to strengthen the rule of law, respect for human rights and inter-communal reconciliation in Kosovo. These efforts to rebuild trust, particularly among young people, are essential to the stability and security of Kosovo. I applaud, for example, the activities carried out at the Barabar center in Pristina to foster inter-communal dialogue in a spirit of mutual recognition and respect. UNMIK, KFOR and EULEX Kosovo are operating in complementary and their combined efforts represents a model of cooperation for the benefit of the people of Kosovo as well as the stability of the country and the Balkans.
The mandate of UNMIK is linked to the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. France supports the extension of its mandate on behalf of peace and reconciliation in the Balkans, on behalf of the conviction that there is a way for peaceful cohabitation among communities with tormented histories, on behalf of the European aspiration of the peoples of the region.
Thank you.