German Minister of State, Gunther Krichbaum, has stated that Germany is carefully following the recent arrests of several Albanian citizens in Serbia, including the arrest of the assistant director of the so-called Office for Kosovo in the Serbian government, Igor Popović, on the territory of Kosovo.
After a meeting with the European Union envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Peter Sorensen, Krichbaum stressed that any arrest must be justified and proportionate.
He has asked the Serbian government to respect legal procedures and guarantee a fair trial, in accordance with the dialogue agreements, which stipulate that criminal cases for crimes committed in Kosovo should be handled primarily in Kosovo.
“We continue to closely monitor the arrest of the Deputy Director of the Kosovo Office in the Serbian government. Any measure of deprivation of liberty must be justified and proportionate. We are also closely monitoring the arrest of Kosovo citizen Arbnor Spahiu by the Serbian authorities and expect Serbia to fully and promptly ensure the implementation of legal procedures, respect fundamental rights and guarantee a fair legal process – in accordance with the Justice Dialogue Agreement,” the German Foreign Office said in a statement.
The German minister has called on both sides to restore full engagement in the dialogue process and to enable free and safe movement for negotiators and their teams.
He has also called for restraint in public statements, emphasizing the importance of maintaining calm at this delicate stage of the process.
“Germany is ready to support both countries in advancing a sustainable, inclusive and peaceful normalization process,” the statement further states.
Krichbaum reiterated that Germany considers the Western Balkans to be part of the European Union and that the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia remains a core priority.
He emphasized that respecting European values and standards is an obligation for both parties.