**Kosovo Closes Serbian Parallel Offices**
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The government of Kosovo has closed over 30 offices of the Serbian parallel administration. This happened during a major police operation on Thursday, January 16.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s government says this is an end to “criminal structures”. But local Serbs and Belgrade claim it’s an attack on them. Western embassies have criticized the move, saying it undermines trust in Kosovo’s aspirations to join the Euro-Atlantic community.
**Accusations Fly**
Kosovo Serbs say Kurti’s government is trying to gain votes from Albanian nationalists before the parliamentary elections. They claim this is a “theatrical performance” and repression against the Serb people.
The European Union has condemned the action by Kosovo authorities, saying it could lead to escalation. Germany‘s ambassador to Pristina agrees that the parallel structures should be ended, but says the path to that must be inclusive.
**Serbs Hit Hard**
The closing of the offices has left 1,100 people without jobs. Petar Petkovic, director of the Serbian Office for Kosovo and Metohija, says Kurti clearly doesn’t want dialogue and is seeking to deal with Serbs.
Belgrade will continue to pay salaries to these people. The U.S. embassy has also criticized Pristina’s move, saying it undermines trust in Kosovo’s aspirations to join the Euro-Atlantic community.
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