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Federal Minister Westerwelle counting on successful elections in the Republic of Kosovo
Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle issued the following statement today on the first parliamentary elections since Kosovo gained independence in February 2008:
“I am confident that 12 December will be a day of success for the democracy and people of this young country. I hope that all eligible voters, including members of the Serbian ethnic minority, will take this opportunity to help set the political course of their country through their votes. I am counting on successful elections, particularly with regard to dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo. I hope that the newly elected government in Pristina will seek direct dialogue with Serbia soon after the elections in order to begin solving the problems of everyday life. The people of both countries are urgently awaiting this.”
Through its support for various NGO projects the German Government is working to ensure successful elections. The projects being supported include efforts to mobilize voters who are members of the Kosovo Serb and Roma minorities. Beyond this, the German Government helps finance the work of more than 4800 independent election observers through the Democracy in Action network.