Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Kosovo about reported attacks on people of Serbian origin in that country; what was the result of any such representations; what assessment they have made of the impact of any such attacks on those seeking to return after the war; and whether they have raised the reported attacks in Klina, Kosovo-Polje and Dakovice with the authorities there.

The UK regularly raises incidents of ethnically motivated violence with the Government of Kosovo and local authorities. In addition, the UK along with our international partners continues to call for more action at the central and grass roots level to tackle issues from the past that impede better inter-ethnic relations.

In a written statement to the media, Prime Minister Thaci condemned the recent attacks against Kosovo-Serbs and other ethnic-minorities. Other representatives from both the government and opposition condemned the attacks, which were seen locally as being linked to the recent incident at the football match between Serbia and Albania. There has also been condemnation of these attacks by some of the mayors in the areas where these incidents took place.

The recent spike in attacks against Kosovo-Serbs and their property will have a short term impact on those seeking to return, and some returnees may wish to leave. But such security incidents, specifically those that are ethnically motivated, are not common. In this case, they seem to be connected to the fallout from the recent football match rather than relating to inter-ethnic disputes within a community and should be seen in the broader context of recent efforts. The UK is the biggest bilateral donor supporting the return of Kosovo-Serbs to Kosovo. In addition to helping the returnees, British Government funding also contributes towards community projects that help smooth the returns process in difficult return environments. Other representations by the UK have resulted in increased recruitment of ethnic minorities into the Kosovo Police to further build trust in Kosovo institutions.