How was the decision to facilitate the implementation of the Law on Foreigners made?

The Government's decision to implement the Law on Foreigners and the Law on Vehicles for Serbs working in parallel institutions or studying abroad, starting today north, has provoked reactions in Kosovo.

The main political entities in the opposition have criticized Kurti for the concession they say he made.

A statement from the Democratic Party expressed concern about this, as it was considered that this action "directly violates the sovereignty of the Republic of Kosovo."

"With his recent decisions, Kurti has made two serious concessions: he has allowed the functioning of illegal Serbian institutions within the territory of Kosovo and he has legitimized the documents that Serbia illegally issues to the citizens of Kosovo. By accepting them, he has made illegal Serbian structures participants in the implementation of the legislation of the state of Kosovo," the PDK's reaction states. "For years, Kurti has been declaring that parallel Serbian structures no longer exist in Kosovo, while with his decisions he is publicly acknowledging their existence and creating conditions for their continued functioning."

Democratic League of Kosovo MP Avdullah Hoti said that no one has the right to accept solutions, even though they may seem technical, that normalize the functioning of parallel structures.

In a Facebook post, he wrote that the establishment of a "status quo" should not be accepted.

"At the beginning of his mandate in 2021, Kurti abandoned the dialogue for mutual recognition and a legally binding comprehensive final agreement. At that time, there was a general agreement with the allies that the dialogue should be held only for a final agreement, in which all remaining issues in the technical dialogue would be addressed based on international norms and standards for the normalization of interstate cooperation. European and American leaders consistently emphasized support for such an agreement. Now, after several years of sanctions from the EU and criticism from other allies, Kurti is forced to deal with the normalization of the functioning of parallel structures," he wrote on Facebook.

Meanwhile, the head of the Parliamentary Group of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Besnik Tahiri, said that with the concessions on the Law on Foreigners, Kurti made a concession, while Serb came out again as a beneficiary and satisfied.

He said the pattern is repeating itself, "first harsh rhetoric against dialogue, then criticism from international partners, and finally concessions in free fall on Kosovo's back."

Today's decision by the Prime Minister should be viewed from two main questions:

1. Is it an ad hoc decision, "for the sake of it", or part of a previous government promise?

2. Does the EU-facilitated dialogue with Serbia have a clear strategy and goal, and above all: what did Kosovo gain? For me, the answers are clear. With the concessions on the Law on Foreigners, the Prime Minister made another concession, while Serbia again emerged as the beneficiary and satisfied with the agreement. The pattern is repeating itself: first harsh rhetoric against dialogue, then criticism from international partners, and finally concessions in free fall on Kosovo's back. In the end: Kurti satisfied, EU satisfied, Serbia benefits, and Kosovo demands it," he wrote.

Unlike the opposition, ambassadors accredited in Pristina have welcomed the Government's decision.

Germany's, Reiner Rudolph, described as important the fact that Kosovo reached an agreement on how to implement laws, without interrupting the health and education services that are provided by parallel institutions in Serb-majority municipalities.

And the French ambassador, Olivier Guerot, said that this solution is the result of the Government's goodwill and the EU's commitment.

The decision was also welcomed by the head of the OSCE in Kosovo, Gerard McGurk.

"We welcome the agreement on the future implementation of the Law on Foreigners and Vehicles – an important step forward in addressing a practical issue that affects people's daily lives," he said.

The government has agreed that, starting today, the implementation of the Law on Foreigners and the Law on Vehicles will begin with facilities for Serbs working in parallel institutions or studying at the university in the north. At the request of the European Union, which sent the special envoy for dialogue, Peter Sorensen, to Kosovo on this issue, Kosovo agreed to issue 12-month residence permits to Serbian students who do not have Kosovo documents and to accept identification documents issued by illegal structures for an additional three months.