France strongly condemns the murder of a couple who were Kosovo citizens of Serbian origin on Friday, July 6 in the municipality of Ferizaj/ Urosevac in Kosovo. This couple had returned to live in Kosovo in 2004 after having fled their village during the tragic events of 1998-1999.

The perpetrators of these murders must be swiftly identified and prosecuted. We expect the Kosovo authorities, who immediately condemned these murders, to take all the security measures necessary to preserve the Serbian community in Kosovo and to allow the return of the refugees.

13 years after the end of the war and at a time when Kosovo is in the process of acquiring its full sovereignty, with the end of supervised independence, all Kosovo citizens should be able live there in peace and security.

It is the responsibility of each community to move forward, to ensure an atmosphere of calm and to facilitate reconciliation between Serbia and Kosovo.