Responding to the violent attacks in the North of Kosovo*

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 15845 | 11 October 2023

Signatories:

Mr Knut ABRAHAM, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Abdurrahman BABACAN, Türkiye, NR ; Mr Lulzim BASHA, Albania, EPP/CD ; Ms Arta BILALLI ZENDELI, North Macedonia, SOC ; Ms Klotilda BUSHKA, Albania, SOC ; Ms Zdravka BUŠIĆ, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Mr Mustafa CANBEY, Türkiye, NR ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Mr Adnan DIBRANI, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Heike ENGELHARDT, Germany, SOC ; Mr Franz Leonhard ESSL, Austria, EPP/CD ; Ms Sascha FAXE, Denmark, SOC ; Ms Etilda GJONAJ, Albania, SOC ; Ms Blerina GJYLAMETI, Albania, SOC ; Mr Oleksii GONCHARENKO, Ukraine, EC/DA ; Lord Leslie GRIFFITHS, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Domagoj HAJDUKOVIĆ, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Mattias JONSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Marietta KARAMANLI, France, SOC ; Mr Konur Alp KOÇAK, Türkiye, NR ; Mr Armin LASCHET, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Max LUCKS, Germany, SOC ; Mr Oleksandr MEREZHKO, Ukraine, EC/DA ; Mr Andreas NIKOLAKOPOULOS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Julian PAHLKE, Germany, SOC ; Ms Marijana PETIR, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Mr Paulo PISCO, Portugal, SOC ; Ms Catia POLIDORI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Gonzalo ROBLES, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Chris SAID, Malta, EPP/CD ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Ms Ingjerd SCHOU, Norway, EPP/CD ; Mr Davor Ivo STIER, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Ms Jorida TABAKU, Albania, EPP/CD ; Ms Derya TÜRK-NACHBAUR, Germany, SOC ; Mr Volker ULLRICH, Germany, EPP/CD ; Ms Oleksandra USTINOVA, Ukraine, ALDE ; Ms Sandra ZAMPA, Italy, SOC

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The violent attack by a large group of Serbian paramilitaries, including the Vice-President of the Serb List Party Milan Radoičić, that took place on 24 September 2023 in the North of Kosovo [(1) * Throughout this text, all reference to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.] is concerning. The attack involved the use of heavy war weapons against Kosovo police patrols, killing a Kosovo police officer. This act of aggression on Kosovo territory should be condemned. The repeated mobilisations of the Serbian armed forces along the Kosovo border and the kidnapping of three Kosovo police officers in June 2023 are also alarming. There is an increasing threat to peace and stability in the region.

The Parliamentary Assembly should call on member States of the Council of Europe to condemn in the strongest terms the attack on 24 September 2023. It should also call on European Union member States to lift the measures adopted against Kosovo in June, and request from Serbian authorities to bring those responsible for the attack and currently residing in Serbia to justice in accordance with the rule of law.

Furthermore, the Assembly should call on the government of Kosovo to disclose all evidence of the incident and to co-ordinate with relevant international institutions in Kosovo to determine whether the evidence is compelling. Serbia should refrain from any further escalation efforts that would undermine the constitutional order of the Republic of Kosovo as a pre-condition for further European Union accession talks and the disbursement of funds. This includes refraining from hate speech and the dissemination of unsubstantiated lies about "ethnic cleansing" and "pogroms" in the Republic of Kosovo.