Hovenier: There are foreign actors seeking to undermine democracy in Kosovo by exploiting ethnic divisions

The US ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, said there are “malicious foreign actors active in Kosovo who seek to undermine Kosovo’s democracy by exploiting ethnic divisions”.

“We cannot allow that to happen,” Hovenier said in Pristina on Tuesday at a DISICON conference on information integrity organized by the Washington-based National Democratic Institute (NDI).

He added that misinformation can always have direct consequences, especially during the election period Kosovo is currently in ahead of the February 9 elections.

He reminded the audience of a fake conversation published on social networks a few years ago, which included a fake conversation between him and Prime Minister Kurti and was intended to “sow distrust within the Kosovo Serb community”.

“Fortunately, not many people took it seriously… But the fact that an actor wrote a script, prepared a script, created a recording entirely designed to sow distrust and concern in the Serbian community and posted it on social media is an indication of that.“ solve this problem,” the American ambassador emphasized.

Hovenier, who completes his term in Kosovo at the end of December and is retiring, emphasized that the US remains committed to Kosovo as a diverse country and to supporting independent media, including those run by minorities.

“And we are very cognizant that the media provides unbiased and accurate information. We are aware that there are some who try to use this claim to do something completely different, namely to convey a message that has very different aims from informing the community. This must be denounced and we must support the independent media,” explained Hovenier.

He said, “Our work together is far from over.”

“In fact, one could argue that [the work] on this issue has just begun, and we are really ready to work with all of you to find new ways to help you protect your democracy,” he told Pristina./REL/