Djuric and Petkovic meet with Quint and EU ambassadors: We expect the release of Igor Popovic

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Marko Djuric and Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic met today in Belgrade with the ambassadors of Quint countries (United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy), as well as the Head of the EU Mission, to discuss the situation in Kosovo following the arrest of Igor Popovic, Assistant Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was emphasized during the meeting that Popovic’s arrest represents a continuation of the political persecution of Serbs. This time, a member of the Serbian Government’s negotiating team was detained, which Belgrade considers completely unacceptable.

Minister Djuric recalled that the arrest took place precisely during the days when commemorations were being held for Serbian and Roma victims in Orahovac and Staro Gracko.

“Through the arrest of Serbs and Serbian officials, as well as other illegitimate actions, the authorities in Pristina are attempting to impose their own version of the truth and to interpret historical events on their terms, rather than on the basis of facts,” Djuric stated, reiterating Serbia’s expectation that Igor Popovic be released as soon as possible.

The meeting with Minister Djuric was attended by the ambassadors of Italy and the United Kingdom, as well as the chargés d’affaires of the embassies of the United States, France, Germany, and the EU Mission.