Elek and Simic Meet US Senators Shaheen, Durbin in Pristina
Serbian List president Zlatan Elek and parliamentary group leader Igor Simic raised unimplemented agreements, the Community of Serb Municipalities and Serb safety at the US Embassy.
The leadership of the Serbian List met two American senators at the US Embassy in Pristina, the party said on October 13. Party president Zlatan Elek and parliamentary group leader Igor Simic spoke with Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Senator Dick Durbin about the position of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.
What did the Serbian List tell the senators?
According to the party’s statement, Elek and Simic told their American interlocutors that Serbs in Kosovo face institutional pressure and discrimination. The party’s main complaint concerns agreements that are not being carried out: they pointed to the “continued failure to implement the agreements reached, above all on the formation of the ZSO and the representation of Serbs in institutions.” The abbreviation refers to the Community of Serb Municipalities.
They also spoke about the conduct of institutions, which in the Serbian List’s assessment endangers the basic human, civil and political rights of Serbs. The second topic was personal safety. The party says residents are afraid and that conditions must be created in which Serbs can live peacefully, safely and with dignity, “without fear for their own safety and the safety of their families.”
The Serbian List is asking the international community for a stronger commitment to protecting Serb rights and for consistent implementation of the agreements reached. The statement closes with a pledge to keep raising the issue with international representatives: “The Serbian List will continue to point out to representatives of the international community all the problems faced by the Serb people.”
The Serbian List’s statement is the only source on how the talks went. The published reports contain no words from the senators and no position from the American embassy.
What did the senators hear from Kosovo’s president?
According to Danas and N1, the same senators also met Kosovo President Justina Siroka-Pula. She asked for the strategic dialogue with the United States to be renewed and said NATO membership remains Kosovo’s primary goal.
“The support of the United States is crucial on this path. Kosovo’s membership in NATO would mean greater security and stability not only for our country but for the whole region,” Siroka-Pula said.
She presented Senator Shaheen with the Presidential Medal of Merit, thanking her for her continued engagement and her contribution to Kosovo. In its statement, the president’s office singled out Shaheen’s position on keeping American troops in the KFOR mission:
“Her position in favor of continuing the presence of American military forces within KFOR was especially highlighted. The letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio was assessed as a very significant initiative, with an emphasis that this presence has exceptional strategic importance for Kosovo’s security and for preventing tensions in the region.”
Siroka-Pula also recalled Senator Shaheen’s reaction after the attack by a group of armed Serbs in Banjska on September 24, 2023, in which Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed, as well as her call for the perpetrators to be held accountable.
