PRISTINA, Kosovo: Four European nations and the United States on Sunday asked Kosovo to reverse its decision banning Kosovo’s Serb minority from using the Serbian dinar, which according to them could spark ethnic tensions in the area.
Euro is Kosovo’s official currency but its 5 percent Serb community also uses Serbian dinar as they don’t recognize Kosovo’s statehood.
The Central Bank early this month said that all payments in Kosovo should be made only in euros, suggesting that the Serbian dinar will not be used from February 1.
Serbia, which does not accept the independence of its former breakaway province, continues to pay pensions, social assistance and salaries for Serbian institutions in Kosovo in dinar.
The United States, Italy, France, Germany and Britain, known as the Quint group in a statement expressed concern about the outcome of the Central Bank’s new regulation in schools and hospitals, for which no alternative procedure seems feasible at the moment.
The Quint countries, which are Kosovo’s biggest allies asked the country to delay its decision to allow a sufficiently long period of transition, and for clear and effective public communication.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s 2008 independence, and the north region where half of the 100,000 Serb minority resides. The area has already witnessed frequent ethnic violence.
The worst violence erupted in September last year when Serb gunmen attacked Kosovo police in the north village of Banjska, causing the death of one police officer and three gunmen.
After 25 years since the war ended in the country of 1.8 million, Kosovo is still protected by NATO troops.
