DUE PRESENTS GUTERRES REPORT, NEED FOR CONTINUED ATTENTION TO KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

NEW YORK, OCTOBER 20 /SRNA/ – UNMIK chief Peter Due presented UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' semiannual report to the UN Security Council, which stressed that the recent rise in tensions and the legacy of past conflicts in the western Balkans underscore the need to maintain a focus on Kosovo and Metohija.

The report cited arrests of Serbs, the closure and disruption of institutions operating within Serbia's system, restrictions involving religious and cultural symbols, police misconduct, property demolitions and evictions. Due also reminded of police misconduct linked to the Vidovdan celebration at Gazimestan on June 28, adding that the so-called Kosovo Police and the police inspectorate had launched investigations into the incidents. The report, covering the period from March 16 to September 15, stated that Serbia's health and education institutions and the Serbian Orthodox Church continued to face various challenges related to closures, police actions and decisions affecting access to religious sites. Due said these developments had contributed to a sense of insecurity and unequal treatment among Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. The report noted that the overall security situation in Kosovo and Metohija remained stable, but tensions had risen between the central authorities and local governments, particularly in the north of the province. The increase in tensions was linked to disputes over jurisdiction, municipal-level decision-making, demolitions and evictions, as well as actions by the Kosovo Police. The report also noted that progress in implementing agreements reached under European Union mediation remained limited.