Tensions in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, possible escalation: This is the content of the regular report

In his regular report to the Security Council, Guterres stated that unilateral actions, such as closing institutions financed by Belgrade, limiting the flow of goods and announcing the opening of the bridge over the Ibar, raise tensions and reduce trust between communities.

UN Security Council will discuss this report on October 30.

"The atmosphere in the north of Kosovo is still tense, with the possibility of escalation still present. I call on all parties to renew their commitment to the dialogue with the mediation of the European Union and to fully implement the existing agreements", stated UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in the regular six-monthly report on the situation on Kosovo and Metohija.

Guterres also warned that unilateral moves such as the closure of institutions financed by Belgrade, steps towards the opening of the bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica, restrictions on goods from Serbia and the implementation of a new monetary policy "raise tensions and reduce trust between communities and between communities and institutions".

The head of the world organization assessed that such moves not only hinder the normal life and social and economic rights of those affected by them, but also seriously threaten the overall progress and stability.

"It is essential that the moves of political leaders be in accordance with the needs and rights of all communities," stated Guterres and called on the authorities in Pristina to urgently and fully respond to the concerns of the Serbian community regarding possible actions related to health and education institutions.

"The preservation of the economic and social rights of minority communities, including the most vulnerable ones, is of key importance," according to the report of the Secretary General of the United Nations, reports RTS.

Guterres also warned that "the serious security incident in Banjska on September 23, 2023, is an indicator of the need for all parties to cooperate in the search for justice, and that elucidating such incidents is of key importance for re-establishing trust and ensuring long-term stability".

He also stated that it is of fundamental importance that the forces of order, above all during apprehensions, arrests and property issues, act fully in accordance with legal frameworks and in accordance with international human rights standards.

The report, which will be dealt with by the Security Council on October 30, also states that 13 previously exiled persons returned to Kosovo in six months, seven of whom are Serbs.

In total, since 2000, 29,418 out of about 200,000 expelled persons have returned to Kosovo.

The European Union Mission to Kosovo stated, in the same report, that the appellate court in Tirana freed Dritan Goxhaj, who was previously arrested in the Albanian capital and whose extradition to the Special Court for KLA War Crimes was approved.

A little later, the Albanian Supreme Court rejected the prosecution's appeal against the decision of the appellate court.