Barac: The Law on Foreigners represents a loud and fully exposed expulsion of Serbs from Kosovo

Analyst Srdjan Barac stated that the Law on Foreigners, which according to announcements from Pristina is set to enter into force on March 15, represents a loud and completely overt expulsion of Serbs from the territory of Kosovo, with the aim of reducing the number of Serbs to such a small figure that there would be no need for the Community of Serb Municipalities and no idea of coexistence with Serbs in Kosovo, RTV reports.

Speaking to Tanjug, and responding to the question of whether the EU has any real power to prevent unilateral moves by Pristina such as these, Barac said that Brussels has the ability to prevent this but has never used it so far, adding that this is a great opportunity for Brussels to show that it can do something concrete on the ground rather than everything remaining at the level of mild diplomatic statements.

Commenting on the meeting of the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade–Pristina Dialogue, Peter Sorensen, with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, in Belgrade, where the main topic was the continuation of the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue, Barac said that although the meeting is significant because it is important for Serbia to continue talks, it is negative that it is evident that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is not abandoning his idea, which he describes as escalation of conflict and violence in order to complete his policy of expelling Serbs. He added that the EU has shown itself neither capable nor willing to truly stop this.

Asked whether Sorensen brought any concrete guarantees for Serbs in Kosovo or whether everything comes down to the word “implementation,” Barac pointed out that the EU has so far never succeeded in stopping processes initiated by Kurti, and that it was always Washington that did so.

He expressed hope that the EU will now, in the redistribution of global power in which Europe is also competing with America, demonstrate that it can do something regarding the situation in Kosovo, in line with the values on which the EU and its individual member states are founded, and protect Serbs in Kosovo.

“It is a very difficult position for Serbia, from which something is constantly expected while the Serbian people receive nothing in return. The Serbian people are becoming increasingly endangered day by day and month by month in the territory of AP Kosovo and Metohija. On the other hand, the only thing Serbia can do is to continue negotiations with both Brussels and Washington in order to reach them and make them understand that the position of Serbs in AP Kosovo and Metohija is truly endangered,” he stated.

Speaking about the greatest challenges for Serbia regarding Kosovo, Barac emphasized that they are preserving the Serbs who live in Kosovo and safeguarding their way of life, that is, enabling them to live normally.