US Ambassador to Kosovo: US position on Serbian elections in Kosovo unchanged

 

Dec 6, 2023. Posted by  Balkan Periscope - Hellas

 

US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier said his country has not changed its position regarding the holding of Serbian elections in Kosovo, but that Pristina has the right to set conditions, KoSSev reported citing Klan Kosova.

Our position has not changed since this issue was first raised in 2022, said Hovenier. We continue to express our disappointment with the fact that the Kosovo Government has decided to discontinue the years-long practice of allowing OSCE to collect the ballots of Serb voters with voting rights living in Kosovo, he explained.

The Ambassador stressed that the US strongly believes that voters with voting rights in all countries should be able to participate in democratic processes.

On the other hand, Hovenier also said that, as “an independent and sovereign state,” Kosovo has the right to determine the conditions under which other countries’ elections are held in its territory.

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