Tanin: Kosovo Authorities’s Actions Have Deepened Distrust among Serbs

U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL

Head of the U.N. Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Zahir Tanin said at a U.N. Security Council session on Oct. 15 that the latest actions by the Kosovo authorities had deepened distrust among the Serbs in the north of Kosovo, making the Belgrade-Pristina talks all the more important.

While discussing a new report by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the work of his mission, Tanin said that the EU-mediated dialogue had to be used "as a mechanism to avoid dangers that are not always visible." Tanin said that what Kosovo was missing the most was a lack of trust between the parties in negotiations and trust in institutions.

"Over the past few weeks we have witnessed developments that have reminded us that tensions and a lack of understanding always prevail in Kosovo, affecting security and promoting distrust," Tanin said. He added that during recent meetings with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic he "underlined the importance of the continuation of the dialogue."