Djuric with Kamp: Deterioration of human rights and freedoms of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija; OSCE urged to influence Pristina authorities

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Marko Djuric, met with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Christophe Kamp, to discuss key issues concerning cooperation with this international organization, with particular focus on the current situation and the position of the Serbian people in Kosovo.

On this occasion, Minister Djuric emphasized that Serbia highly values its cooperation with the OSCE, particularly in the field of protecting the rights and freedoms of national minorities. He expressed the expectation that the OSCE, together with other relevant international actors, will in the coming period succeed in exerting influence on the current authorities in Pristina to respect the agreements reached in the Brussels Agreement and related documents, stressing that in the recent period there has been a significant deterioration of human rights and freedoms, particularly of the Serbs in Kosovo.

As noted in the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, the head of Serbian diplomacy provided the High Commissioner with a detailed briefing on numerous measures and actions undertaken by the authorities in Pristina which have sought, and continue to seek, to make life more difficult for Serbs in Kosovo and to pressure them into leaving—illustrating this with data on arbitrary arrests and physical attacks on representatives of Serbian parties and their property.

“Minister Djuric reiterated Serbia’s commitment to resolving outstanding issues through dialogue and the involvement of the international community—from restrictions on freedom of movement and the security of Serbs, to the usurpation of private property and that of the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well as obstacles to the free flow of goods and to the normalization of economic cooperation. He underlined Serbia’s interest in ensuring that Serbs and Serbian political parties, primarily the Serb List, participate under equal and fair conditions in the upcoming local elections in Kosovo and Metohija, so that Serbian representatives may be adequately represented in all institutions and at all levels of government,” the statement reads.

Expressing gratitude for the engagement of the OSCE and its missions in the region, Minister Djuric also conveyed his expectation that, in the near future, direct communication with High Commissioner Kamp would continue in order to further enhance Serbia’s cooperation with the OSCE.