Djuric: Despite harsh conditions, Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija mark Vidovdan with strong support from Serbia

Serbia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Djuric, stated that this year, Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are marking Vidovdan under difficult circumstances, but emphasized that they should know that all evil eventually passes and that they have the strong backing and support of the state of Serbia.

"I like to say that whenever Serbs go to Kosovo and Metohija—whether they were born there or not—they are returning to Kosovo and Metohija. And this year again, many people from central Serbia and other parts of the world will want to visit their holy sites, but unfortunately, many of them will not be able to, because they live under unprecedented security and political pressure and terror. We’ve grown numb to the word 'terror.' But what we are witnessing is truly beyond all global norms, beyond human and civilizational standards—a way of treating people of another faith and nation that we never expected to see more than two decades after those who supported Kosovo's independence claimed it would be a democratic project," Djuric stressed.

He added that Serbs in Kosovo are facing particularly difficult conditions this Vidovdan.

"They should face it with the awareness that every hardship eventually passes. They should know they have the strong support and backing of the state of Serbia, which is investing in Kosovo and Metohija more than ever before. President Vucic has set clear priorities in our policy—Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija must be supported by all our institutions, both in terms of foreign and domestic policy—and that is one of the key priorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Djuric said.

He further emphasized the importance of unity and progress.

"At the same time, Serbs must know that if we focus on building and developing Serbia—instead of dividing and falling into traps that turn Serbia into a battleground of internal conflicts instead of a place of progress—if we are wise, stable, and forward-looking, then we will also be able to achieve, in the medium term, a different reality in Kosovo and Metohija," concluded the Serbian foreign minister.