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<p>The UK regularly raises incidents of ethnically motivated violence with the Government
of Kosovo and local authorities. In addition, the UK along with our international
partners continues to call for more action at the central and grass roots level to
tackle issues from the past that impede better inter-ethnic relations.</p><p>In a
written statement to the media, Prime Minister Thaci condemned the recent attacks
against Kosovo-Serbs and other ethnic-minorities. Other representatives from both
the government and opposition condemned the attacks, which were seen locally as being
linked to the recent incident at the football match between Serbia and Albania. There
has also been condemnation of these attacks by some of the mayors in the areas where
these incidents took place.</p><p>The recent spike in attacks against Kosovo-Serbs
and their property will have a short term impact on those seeking to return, and some
returnees may wish to leave. But such security incidents, specifically those that
are ethnically motivated, are not common. In this case, they seem to be connected
to the fallout from the recent football match rather than relating to inter-ethnic
disputes within a community and should be seen in the broader context of recent efforts.
The UK is the biggest bilateral donor supporting the return of Kosovo-Serbs to Kosovo.
In addition to helping the returnees, British Government funding also contributes
towards community projects that help smooth the returns process in difficult return
environments. Other representations by the UK have resulted in increased recruitment
of ethnic minorities into the Kosovo Police to further build trust in Kosovo institutions.</p>
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