Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met today with Christophe Kamp, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, to discuss the rights of communities.
Among several issues, they addressed what Kurti described as the systematic discrimination against Albanians in Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja, Rks News reports.
“I called for direct engagement and concrete follow-up on these issues: Serbia must meet European standards for the protection of communities, guarantee genuine equality for Albanians, and respect human and civil rights. Their rights must not remain hostage to the political will of an autocratic system,” Kurti wrote.
Here is his full statement:
Today, I welcomed Christophe Kamp, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, and thanked him for his visit and continued dialogue.
We discussed community rights, the use of languages, access to education and public services, as well as the enforcement of the law to protect public property, the environment and water resources. I reiterated that equality before the law is a cornerstone of our Republic: rights must be protected and obligations enforced equally for everyone, without distinction.
The Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo guarantees extensive rights to non-majority communities, in many respects going beyond European standards of protection. These guarantees must be fully reflected in institutional and social life through the active engagement of community members and their representatives, in compliance with the laws in force. Protecting rights and enforcing the law reinforce one another; community affiliation must be neither a basis for violating rights nor an excuse for exemption from legal obligations.
I raised concerns about the systematic discrimination against Albanians in Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegjaby Serbian authorities, including through the deactivation of residential addresses, barriers to education and underrepresentation in public institutions.
I called for direct engagement and concrete follow-up on these issues: Serbia must meet European standards for the protection of communities, guarantee genuine equality for Albanians, and respect human and civil rights. Their rights must not remain hostage to the political will of an autocratic system.
We will continue our cooperation with Commissioner Kamp’s office, convinced that the rights of non-majority communities and the rule of law are complementary obligations, not competing principles.
