Statement delivered by Deputy Permanent Representative of the Mission of Estonia to UN, Mr. Gert Auväärt
Mr. President,
We would like to thank Mr. Zahir Tanin, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for his briefing as well as Mr. Dačić, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Mr. Konjufca, Foreign Minister of Kosovo, for their statements.
Estonia commends Mr. Tanin particularly for the latest report and for leading the work of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which has helped to advance Kosovo’s democratization and has promoted human rights. We also appreciate UNMIK’s support for women’s participation in decision-making processes, as well as for initiatives aimed at the youth and the fight against gender-based violence. During the critical time of the COVID-19 crisis, we commend the positive actions taken by UNMIK, including the donation of medical equipment to the Ministry of Health.
We would like stress that the no-confidence motion has further complicated the political situation in Kosovo during the global Covid-19 pandemic. Political stability should be restored as soon as possible and all political actors must work together to ensure that citizens receive the needed medical assistance and economic support. Therefore, we call on political and institutional leaders in Kosovo to unite efforts to mitigate the social and economic impact of the Coronavirus.
We hereby highlight the European Union Rule of Law Mission’s contribution to help Kosovo, especially during these difficult times. Recently for example – EULEX’s support to the capacity building of the security bodies within the Kosovo Correctional Service institutions has been strengthened further by the donation of IT equipment to help its staff hold virtual meetings.
The normalisation of the relations between Serbia and Kosovo is the key to regional stability and the dialogue should resume after the pandemic is over. We welcome the appointment of Miroslav Lajčák as EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues at the beginning of this month, and wish him much success in his endeavours.
We commend the decision taken by the Kosovo Government to lift the customs tariffs on imports from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is an important first step towards the resumption of the dialogue. We are also glad that the President of Serbia Mr. Vučić has affirmed his readiness for full cooperation with the Pristina authorities in responding to the outbreak and helping the people of Kosovo. As time passes, and as both countries hopefully continue to demonstrate actions of good-faith, the challenges faced by Kosovo and Serbia will be increasingly more addressed in the context of the EU-facilitated Dialogue which remains an essential requirement in order to advance their respective European paths. With regard to Kosovo’s EU integration path, we look forward to the continued implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) by Kosovo. It is also important to further reforms in support of socio-economic development, rule of law, fight against corruption and organized crime. And so, as strong cooperation with EULEX becomes increasingly more prevalent, we would welcome the strategic review of UNMIK in due course.
Finally, we wish to express hope that President Macron and Chancellor Merkel’s plan to host a Summit between Serbia and Kosovo in Paris, with the participation of both parties’ leaders and High Representative Borrell, will come to fruition.
As we face this global health crisis, let us stand together in solidarity, unity and compassion, in line with the Secretary-General’s appeal.
Thank you.