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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

OSCE worried about ban on distribution of Serbian newspapers in Kosovo

Belgrade/Vienna, 27 November 2018

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir voiced concern over the limiting impact of Pristina's recent trade measures on the distribution of Serbian newspapers in Kosovo-Metohija.

Such a reaction followed yesterday's talks between Desir and Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, and her call to protect the rights of the Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija under emergency procedure.

According to a statement from the OSCE, Desir pointed to the need to protect the rights of all citizens to have access to information in their own language.

Access to newspapers, including the Serbian print media, must be guaranteed to all citizens and local communities at any time, he stressed, and underlined that media and access to information should not be a collateral victim of the current situation.

It is recalled in the statement of the OSCE that after the introduction of increased tariffs on imports of goods from central Serbia, allegations appeared last week that the Serbian press does not reach kiosks in Kosovo.

Accordingly, Desir underlined that the citizens' right to information and pluralist press must be secured and protected in all circumstances, without barriers.

He concluded that the right to information in the mother tongue should be taken into account and that the measures restricting media pluralism should be abolished, since the media are a key pillar of democracy, it is added in the statement.