Germany urges Serbia to cooperate with Kosovo on missing persons

The German Embassy in Kosovo has called on Serbia to cooperate fully with Kosovar institutions to clarify the fate of persons missing during the 1999 war. The embassy emphasized the need for access to relevant documentation and reliable information regarding missing persons and suspected mass graves.

This request follows a demand from Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti for Serbia to release files from the 37th Motorized Brigade of the former Yugoslav Army, which is suspected of involvement in massacres in Drenica and other parts of Kosovo.

The embassy noted that in 2023, Kosovo and Serbia, with European Union facilitation, approved a Declaration on Missing Persons and established a Joint Commission. The German mission expects Serbia to work with its Kosovar counterparts in accordance with the Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement to support ongoing investigations and trials.