Serbia seeks UN Security Council emergency session on Kosovo's decision to adopt euro

BELGRADE, Serbia 

Serbia will request an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council in writing on Monday, in response to the Kosovo government's decision to adopt the euro for cash and payment transactions, effectively eliminating the Serbian dinar. 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic made the announcement during his address to the nation, which was televised live by almost all local broadcasters, in which he promised to request an emergency session of the UN Security Council on the Kosovo government's decision.

On Thursday, Kosovo adopted the euro for cash and payment transactions, effectively eliminating the Serbian dinar, despite concerns expressed by ethnic Serbians living in the country's north.

The Central Bank announced the decision on Jan. 18, saying currencies other than the euro can only be used in Kosovo for physical safekeeping or bank accounts.

"Today, members of the Kurti's police raided the temporary authorities in Peja, Gorazdevac, Istok, and Osojan (northern Kosovo)," he said, referring to acting Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

“At the same time, they also broke into the health center in Osojan, closed it, and harassed people and ransacked things," Vucic alleged.

He claimed that all Serbian enclaves in Kosovo were attacked following the decision to abolish the dinar, and that "the strongest blow so far is the threat of persecution of Serbs, the expulsion of Serbs from their centuries-old hearths."

"Regarding the abolition of the dinar, from the first Brussels agreement to the principles signed in 2015 to all subsequent agreements, in each of those acts, the most significant norm is the right of the Republic of Serbia to finance certain activities, health, education, pensions for the Serbian population in Kosovo and Metohija, which should have been done through the Union of Serbian Municipalities," Vucic said.

The Kosovo decision sparked outrage because, until now, ethnic Serbian communities in Kosovo had used the dinar, the official currency of neighboring Serbia, in both state and commercial institutions. Many local Serbs have an attachment or even allegiance to Serbia.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kosovo's First Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi said at a press conference that the government will focus entirely on informing businesses and citizens in the process, which he called the “transitional phase.”

Western countries, including the US, France, Italy, Germany, and UK, have already urged Kosovo to halt implementation of the currency regulation.