German and French envoys are adding to diplomatic pressure on Kosovo not to try to stop the new Specialist Chambers – which will try former Kosovo guerrillas – from coming into operation
A joint German-French delegation met Kosovo officials on Wednesday to voice concern about recent failed attempts by Kosovo MPs to revoke the law establishing the Special Court, set up to try Kosovo Albanian war crimes.
Germany’s Envoy for South-Eastern Europe, Turkey and the EFTA States, Christina Hellbach, and the head of the French foreign ministry’s Western Balkans Department, Thomas Bertin, were in Kosovo for a two-day joint visit on Wednesday and Thursday.
“The visit takes place against the background of concerns in Berlin and Paris about recent attempts to abolish the law on the Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office,” the German embassy said.
On Wednesday, the delegation met President Hashim Thaci, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and opposition Vetevendosje MPs Albin Kurti and Glauk Konjufca.
On Thursday, meetings with civil society are planned. All the meetings are being held away from the media.
The German embassy on Wednesday said further topics to be discussed include the necessity of reforms, in particular in the rule of law, democracy and good governance, “which are essential for a further rapprochement of Kosovo towards the European Union”.
Kosovo MPs on December 22 attempted to revoke the law that allows the Specialist Chambers to operate, but, under strong pressure from Kosovo’s Western allies, their bid to put the motion to a vote was unsuccessful.
The initiative to revoke the law was supported by the ruling coalition parties – the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK and the Initiative for Kosovo, NISMA.
The initiative came after veterans of the war of independence from Serbia launched a petition calling the new court “discriminatory”, as it aims to try only former Kosovo Albanian guerrillas, not members of Serbian forces accused of carrying out systemic atrocities.
However, parliament speaker Kadri Veseli, leader of the ruling PDK, said in an article on Monday that attempts to prevent the new Hague-based Specialist Chambers from operating would fail.
In the last few weeks several EU embassies in Kosovo and the US embassy have put pressure on Kosovo’s governing bodies to give up on revoking the law.
“Such a move calls into question Kosovo’s commitment to the rule of law and risks all that Kosovo has achieved. It puts the interests of certain individuals above the interests of Kosovo society,” they said in a joint statement on January 4.
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