Kosovo closed six postal bank branches in the north of the country on Monday May 20, where the population is predominantly Serb. In question, their commercial transactions in Serbian dinars, which Kosovo wants to marginalize. Only the euro, the official currency, is now authorized. Belgrade denounced a new attack on the rights of Serbs.
1 min
These Serbian banks were closed because they were carrying out illegal operations, the Serbian authorities explained. Kosovo.
Since last February, transactions in Serbian dinars have, in fact, been prohibited by the Central Bank of Kosovo, which wants to impose the euro throughout the territory. With the aim of fighting corruption and money laundering.
This decision by Pristina aroused the anger of Belgrade. There Serbiawhich still does not recognize the independence of its former province, devotes millions of euros to paying aid and retirement pensions to the Serbs of Kosovo.
Pristina explained that it was not a question of prohibiting Belgrade from paying aid to the Kosovo Serbs, but that these operations had to be carried out in euros.
Kosovo is not part of the Eurozone, and yet it is its official currency. This change was made, in agreement with the European Central Bank, because Pristina does not issue its own euro coins and notes.
The diplomatic service of the European Union distances itself from the Pristina initiative
The EU denounced this Tuesday “ climbing » which represents in his eyes the closure of the six branches of the last Serbian bank in Kosovo, accusing Pristina of carrying out “ unilateral and uncoordinated actions “. “ The closure of these agencies without notice or coordination, only a few days after the last Dialogue meeting [sous l’égide de l’UE, NDLR] are an escalation and go against the spirit of normalization », Writes the diplomatic service of the European Union in a press release.
“ Monday’s operation proves once again that the Kosovar authorities favor unilateral and uncoordinated actions rather than cooperation with their friends and allies », castigates Brussels. And to add that “ the status of all structures and services supported by Serbia is planned to be resolved within the framework of the EU-facilitated Dialogue, in connection with the establishment of the Association/Community of Municipalities with a Serbian majority. »
To rereadKosovo: new controversial census of the country’s population