On 7 February, the Head of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, visited the Mitrovica region to discuss the current rule-of-law and security situation in northern Kosovo with representatives of Kosovo institutions, political parties, civil society, and many local citizens.

In the morning, Wigemark met the Director for the Kosovo Police’s Mitrovica South District, Colonel Afërdita Mikullovci, to discuss the security situation in northern Kosovo and coordination between the Kosovo Police and EULEX.

In Mitrovica North, he met with the President and the Vice President of Srpska Lista, Goran Rakić and Igor Simić, stressing the Mission’s continued commitment to supporting the security and human rights of all communities in Kosovo.

In Zvečan/Zveçan, the EULEX Head of Mission met the Executive Director of NGO AKTIV, Miodrag Milićević, and Milija Biševac, representative of Citizens’ Initiative Zubin Potok, exchanging views on the importance of an engaged civil society and how political pluralism as well as local dialogue among different communities across all of Kosovo is essential to overcome a persisted lack of communication.

The Head of EULEX also held two separate meetings with the Chief Prosecutor of the Basic Prosecution Mitrovica, Ismet Ujkani, and the acting Commander of the Kosovo Police in Leposavić/Leposaviq, Fejzi Nuha, on the challenges posed by the continued security & rule-of-law vacuum in northern Kosovo, which has so far been filled only partially. During the meetings, Wigemark stressed EULEX’s engagement to strengthen confidence and trust between members of all communities in Kosovo and Kosovo’s official institutions, as well as by monitoring selected investigations and court cases and respect for human rights.

At the end of the day, Wigemark listened with interest to the genuine concerns of Dren & Lešak/Leshak’s local residents affected by the recently initiated land expropriation procedures and preparatory works, reassuring them that the EU expects due process is followed stressing that the fundamental rights of the affected population must be respected.