Kurti calls for concrete measures on the rights of Albanians in the Preševo Valley

Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, held a meeting with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Christophe Kamp, whom he thanked for the visit and continued cooperation through dialogue.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the discussion focused on guaranteeing community rights, the use of languages, educational opportunities and the provision of public services. The meeting also addressed the implementation of the law concerning the protection of public property, the environment and water resources.

Kurti underlined that the principle of equality before the law is one of the foundations of the Republic of Kosovo, stressing that rights and obligations must apply equally to everyone, without any distinction.

According to the statement, the prime minister said that Kosovo’s Constitution grants non-majority communities broad rights, which in some areas exceed European protection standards. He said these guarantees must be fully implemented in Kosovo’s institutions and society through the active participation of community members and representatives, always in accordance with the laws in force. Kurti also stressed that the protection of rights and respect for the law are interconnected, while affiliation cannot be used either to infringe on rights or to evade legal obligations.

During the meeting, Kurti expressed concern over what he described as the systematic discrimination of Albanians in Preševo, Bujanoc and Medvegjë by the Serbian authorities. He mentioned the deactivation of addresses, obstacles to education and the inadequate representation of Albanians in public institutions.

The prime minister called for these issues to be addressed directly and followed up with concrete steps. According to him, Serbia must implement European standards for the protection of communities, ensure genuine equality for Albanians, and respect human rights and civil rights. He stressed that the rights of Albanians must not depend on the political will of an autocratic system.

The Government of the Republic of Kosovo announced that it would continue its cooperation with Commissioner Kamp’s office, maintaining that the protection of non-majority communities and the rule of law are complementary obligations, rather than competing principles.