Kosovo’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, confirmed on Wednesday that all “parallel institutions linked to Serbia” in the country have been closed.
Yesterday, the “parallel Serbian municipalities” in Lipjan, Obilic, Pristina, Kosovo Polje, Vushtrri, Novo Brdo, Kamenica, Vitina, Orahovac, and Skenderaj, as well as the illegal post office and tax office, were closed.
“Through a joint operation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Kosovo Police, the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, and the Ministry of Local Government Administration, the era of Serbian municipalities and parallel criminal institutions in the Republic of Kosovo has come to an end,” Minister Svecla stated on Facebook, adding:
“As we promised, we will not allow any parallel, especially criminal, activity by Serbia that would threaten the Constitution and legal order of our country.”
In cities and towns where the Serbian community lives in Kosovo, municipalities, companies, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and public universities directly funded by the Government of Serbia have been operating. According to Kosovo’s laws, these institutions were treated as illegal.
These institutions have been gradually closed in recent times, and the Government of Kosovo has repeatedly emphasized that by abolishing “parallel Serbian institutions,” it aims to establish order and law, particularly in northern Kosovo, where Serbs form the majority population.
