Brnabic: We have preserved peace in Kosovo only thanks to a wise policy

The Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabic, stated that the armed conflict in Kosovo was avoided and peace was preserved only thanks to the wise policy of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, RTV reports.

Brnabic added that she expected further instability in Kosovo in 2023, as well as that the previous year was marked by instability, which, according to her, was created by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti with unilateral moves and terror against the Serbs.

"Last year was a year of instability created by Albin Kurti with his unilateral moves, a year in which his first move was to abolish the right to vote for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and to prohibit them from participating in the referendum on the rule of law in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, and thus did not not only violated the Brussels Agreement, but was practically going to cancel the Brussels Agreement," Brnabic said.

She added that Kurti denied Serbs the rights that were guaranteed by the Brussels Agreement and stated that he started in 2022, not only because the Brussels Agreement does not exist for him, but also that he will abolish the basic rights of Serbs in Kosovo, which are was guaranteed by that agreement.

She points out that, unfortunately, he did not encounter too harsh a reaction from the Quint countries and the EU, so he repeated this in April.

"Since then, a kind of spiral of violence has started, which has brought us to the very edge of an armed conflict. As the Prime Minister of Serbia, I want to thank President Aleksandar Vucic because the conflict was avoided several times during 2022 only by his wise reaction, enormous degree of tolerance and political with the wisdom not to react to whatever provocations Albin Kurti carried out," emphasized Brnabic.

As she stated, Kurti began 2022 by revoking the right of Serbs in Kosovo to vote, and ended with a ban on visiting the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Porfirije.

She states that it is one circle that she is not sure can explain the insufficient engagement of some international partners to prevent such an escalation of violence and provocation.

She notes that he cannot explain why there was a lack of engagement of international partners to put an end to the implementation of the Brussels Agreement and to implement what was started in 2013 with the signing of that agreement.

She emphasized that after the signing of the Brussels Agreement, it was continued in 2015, when the general principles regarding the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities were agreed upon, and then in 2018, when the management team began work on the statute of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities and when Brussels praised Pristina for that in Progress report.

"I'm not sure I can explain how we didn't manage to finish it by 2023. If we had and everyone had done their part, in the way that Belgrade and the Serbs in the Republic of Kosovo did, it would have been a completely different situation. Unfortunately, I expect further instability in 2023, and it remains for us to fight for peace, no matter how difficult it is," says Brnabic.

When asked if she has a professional or personal wish that she would like to see come true in 2023, as well as what she wished the citizens of Serbia, she says that her only wish at the moment is peace.

"Peace, peace, peace, that's what we need in order to continue everything we've been doing for a number of years, what we've been fighting for, and to ensure that Serbia continues to progress and that all our citizens have everything they deserve to realize all their potential," said Brnabic.

As she states, even when you reach an average salary of 1,000 Euros and a pension of 500 Euros, it is extremely small when you look at the potential of our people.

She reminds that 10 years ago, when the current government took over the leadership of the country, it started from a deep deficit and that a lot has been done.

"In order to continue, and I know we can continue, we need peace, stability, and that is increasingly difficult to provide," she stated.

She says she would like to see even greater support from all international partners in order to preserve peace in this part of Europe, in the Balkans.

"Certainly we and President Aleksandar Vucic are their best, most serious and stable partners thanks to whom peace was preserved despite all the unilateral moves of Albin Kurti, despite all the provocations, despite all the terror and mistreatment of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Aleksandar Vucic was wise enough and determined to preserve the peace, but also to send a clear message that what are our red lines," said Brnabic.