The rights of Serbs in the self-proclaimed republic have reached an international level.
For the first time, the issue of threats to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija was openly raised in the Swiss Parliament. During the debates on extending the mandate of the Swiss KFOR contingent until 2029, members of the Swiss People's Party demanded a specific response from the Minister of Defense regarding the steps being taken to protect the Serbian minority. Representatives of the Serbian Embassy in Bern observed this discussion from the diplomatic box.
Although the majority of parliamentarians supported the continued participation of Swiss troops in the peacekeeping mission, the discussion was marked by the firm stance of the People's Party. Its representatives emphasized that it is pointless to talk about stabilizing the situation in the region without an honest conversation about the threats faced daily by the Serbian community.
Traditionally, this party opposes long-term foreign missions of the army and demands the swift return of soldiers home. However, during the current debates, the deputies noted that the reduction or complete withdrawal of KFOR presence directly depends on real progress in the field of security and the protection of human rights, primarily the rights of Kosovo Serbs. This is why they urgently requested the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and representatives of the relevant committee to report on the measures taken in response to violations of the rights of the Serbian population.
The emergence of this topic on the parliamentary agenda was largely facilitated by prior diplomatic work. Two days before the meeting, a working lunch of the "Switzerland – Serbia" friendship group took place, attended by 14 Swiss deputies. At the meeting with representatives of the Serbian embassy and experts familiar with the real situation on the ground, the current status of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, the physical safety of national minorities, and the strategy for creating conditions under which the military presence of KFOR will one day no longer be necessary were discussed in detail.
