Thank you, Mister Chair,
Norway welcomes the Head of OSCE Mission, Mr. Gerard McGurk, to the Permanent Council for the first time. We wish to thank you and your team for the comprehensive report and presentation.
We would like to congratulate the Mission on its longstanding efforts in promoting human rights and strengthening democratic institutions in a complex security environment. We continue to praise the Mission’s efforts and progress in a diverse range of areas, such as tackling serious and organized crime, combatting human trafficking and countering terrorism, and we are proud contributors to several projects within these areas.
We commend the Mission’s collaboration with the OSCE Mission to Serbia to consolidate the impact of the Dialogue Academy Network of Alumni. Women’s meaningful participation in peace processes is a driver for more stable and peaceful communities and remains a Norwegian foreign policy priority.
Through our extra-budgetary contributions, we have supported the revision of Kosovo’s legal framework, improving the integrity of the Assembly elections in February. However, as highlighted in the latest report, the prolonged deadlock over the formation of the Assembly and the new Government has generated uncertainty. A functioning government and assembly are essential for Kosovo’s stability, growth and Euro-Atlantic integration.
Meanwhile, the tensions in northern Kosovo were fueled by political and security developments that negatively affected inter-community relations. Unilateral measures, such as the closure of Belgrade-run institutions without any progress being made in the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities as agreed in the Brussels Agreement of 2013 and the Ohrid Agreement of 2023, continued to generate concerns among the Kosovo Serb community, increasing tensions in the north and jeopardizing efforts to normalize relations with Serbia. We urge authorities to engage in the EU-facilitated dialogue and other initiatives aimed at fostering greater understanding and cooperation to further stability and peace in Kosovo and the broader OSCE region.
Lastly, the lack of an approved unified budget represents a severe challenge to the OSCE and restricts the Mission in Kosovo, as well as other field missions’, in fulfilling their mandate. We urge participating States to reach consensus on a unified budget.
In closing, let me thank you, Mr. McGurk, and your team for your tireless efforts. We wish you every success in the important work that lies ahead of you.
Thank you.