Serbia condemned the closure of its municipal offices by the Kosovo authorities.
Foreign Minister Marko Djuric called the move a "dangerous escalation".
"These aggressive actions are not only an attack on institutions, but also a clear attempt to undermine the collective rights and identity of Serbs in Kosovo," Foreign Minister Marko Djuric wrote on social media.
Kosovo authorities today carried out searches in 10 Belgrade-backed municipal offices in ethnic Serb areas. The aim is to dismantle the so-called parallel system of social services and political offices supported by Belgrade.
"The era of Serbia's parallel and criminal municipalities and institutions in the Republic of Kosovo is coming to an end," Interior Minister Jalal Svećla said earlier in a Facebook post. He closed the offices and pointed out where they were located. One of them is in the capital Pristina.
The minister said that offices of Serbian Post and banks were also closed during the operation.
"As we promised, we will not allow any parallel, let alone criminal, institution of Serbia to violate the constitution and the rule of law in our country," the minister said. | BGNES
