1st LD Writethru: UN envoy asks Kosovar leaders to shelve differences in face of COVID-19

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UNITED NATIONS, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The top UN envoy for Kosovo, Zahir Tanin, on Friday asked political leaders of the territory to put aside their personal and political agendas in face of the coronavirus crisis.

In his virtual briefing to the Security Council, Tanin emphasized the particular vulnerability of Kosovo to the threat of a wider outbreak of COVID-19.

The human toll has continued to rise in Kosovo and throughout the region, said Tanin, the UN secretary-general's special representative and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo.

Kosovo, with its smaller population and more limited resources, remains particularly vulnerable to the threat of a wider outbreak, or a significant increase in critical cases. Even as heroic efforts are being made by medical personnel, the health care resources of Kosovo are stretched thin. Additionally, the immense economic and social burden of the health crisis on Kosovo's fragile economy is just beginning to be felt, he said.

"I urge political leaders (of Kosovo) ... to focus on unifying their energy while putting personal and political agendas aside," said Tanin. "Only through solidarity and unity of effort can we succeed in meeting and overcoming this enormous challenge."

He expressed concerns over internal political instability, including the March 25 parliamentary vote of no-confidence.

"It is an unfortunate feature of the present circumstances in Kosovo that political divisions have distracted the attention of many leaders away from the health crisis. These divisions have served to reduce public trust in political leadership during a time of heightened public anxiety and uncertainty."

The political landscape in Pristina is characterized by polarization among parties and competing claims to power between factions.

The conflicting agendas culminated in a vote of no-confidence against the coalition government on March 25, just as the COVID-19 crisis was striking, he said.

A caretaker government is in place. But the president has called for a new government to be formed by an alternative majority while the prime minister has called this action unlawful, vowing to challenge it in the Constitutional Court.

Whatever steps may ensue, it is clear at this stage that popular discontent has for weeks been palpable. It is essential that the political uncertainties not interfere with nonpartisan action to fight the pandemic, said Tanin.

As experience shows everywhere, success in defeating COVID-19 requires, at minimum, a focused government, the mobilization of people and resources, and strong leadership, he said.

At the end of the Kosovo War in 1999, Kosovo, a Serbian province dominated by ethnic Albanians, was placed under transitional UN administration by the Security Council. It declared independence from Serbia in February 2008. Kosovo's independence is partially recognized by the international community.

The International Monetary Fund has approved a 56.5 million-U.S. dollar emergency loan to Kosovo, targeting the health care sector as well as other sectors affected by the crisis. The European Union has just pledged some 100 million euros (108 million dollars) in favorable loans to help stabilize the economy and overcome balance of payments difficulties. Some member states have also begun to increase their direct support, he said.

Tanin was also heartened by positive cross-community and cross-boundary coordination when it is most needed.

Health officials in Pristina, in Serb-dominated northern Kosovo, and in Belgrade, have recently established improved communication and coordination, which was missing at the onset of this public health crisis. Essential items have moved more freely across the boundary, while the Serbian government recently donated a consignment of testing kits to Pristina's health authorities, said Tanin.

The solidarity shown between leading medical professionals and officials, across ethnic and political divides, gives hope that cooperation can yet increase, as the rate of infection also continues to rise, he said.

Pristina's removal of the 100 percent tariff on imports from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina for an initial period, coupled with the introduction of reciprocity measures vis-a-vis Belgrade, was welcomed by some, though viewed as insufficient by others. Irrespective, this decision marked a step toward resuming more regular commercial relations, and a return toward the principles of the Central European Free Trade Agreement. It is also an important signpost toward a restart of the political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, said Tanin.

Although there is, as yet, no clear roadmap for continuing dialogue, there are at least signals that attention continues to be focused on the issue, even as the COVID-19 emergency takes precedence, he said.

A coordinated international approach in support of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade will be essential, and this remains the best hope for reaching a comprehensive agreement, and for sustaining peace, he said. Enditem

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