Djuric: We have sent a clear message - Kurti is destroying everything that the international community has accomplished in Kosovo

Marko Đurić
Source: Kosovo Online

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Marko Djuric, stated after the UN Security Council session that Serbia has sent clear and strong messages—that everything the regime of Albin Kurti is doing in Kosovo is a direct destruction of all that the international community has accomplished and invested in.

Marko Djuric, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, stated that "building coexistence, democracy, and human rights are all things that Kurti's regime has trampled underfoot in two and a half years," in a statement to reporters.

He pointed out that in the meantime, Serbs in Kosovo have become second-class citizens and victims of persecution.

"We have documented all of this well, presenting concrete cases and evidence of the persecution and discrimination of Serbs at many levels, as well as unilateral actions, attacks on Serbian children, and even harassment of women on a national basis, which is completely unacceptable," emphasized Djuric.

He conveyed that during the UN Security Council session, he spoke about what has led to new emigrations of Serbs from the north of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, including raids on branches of the Postal Savings Bank and other institutions providing vital services to Serbs.

"Our message was unequivocal: this must stop immediately if we want to have a multiethnic and democratic Kosovo and Metohija," the head of Serbian diplomacy stated.

He also noted that he intentionally used the term "Metohija" during his address.

"This irritated Donika Gervalla because the term Metohija has existed for centuries. We are proud of Metohija; it is a word that comes from the Greek language and signifies a monastic estate. It speaks to the centuries-old existence of our people in Kosovo and Metohija," Minister Djuric pointed out.

He indicated that Donika Gervalla attempted to provoke reactions, incidents, and tensions by insulting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

"I responded unequivocally that as a citizen of Serbia, she should not speak about a president who is, according to international law, also her president," Djuric reiterated.

He also noted that Pristina sent a message that it is not in favor of normalizing relations, labeling Serbia as a "fascist state," while at the same time, Kurti renovated the house of the Nazi collaborator Xhafer Deva and turned him into a national hero.

"Streets are being named after Xhafer Deva, and through him, an ideology that should not be rehabilitated is being rehabilitated," Djuric emphasized.

He also revealed in his address that he publicly exposed Albin Kurti's attempts to never form the Community of Serb Municipalities.

"I spoke about how he boasts that he does not intend to implement the Brussels Agreement. Kurti brags about not intending to establish the Community of Serb Municipalities, and his so-called Minister of Interior boasts that he does not intend to implement Article 9, which would enable Serbs to have proportional representation in the police in northern Kosovo and Metohija," Djuric said.

All of this, he pointed out, represents a call to the international community for action and a demand for Serbia to sanction Kurti's regime and change the paradigm in the relations between Serbs and Albanians.

However, a prerequisite for this is that those who continuously disrupt these relations are sanctioned and politically isolated and marginalized, the Serbian foreign minister concluded.

He reiterated that Serbia is not in conflict with the Albanian people, for whose interests and traditions it has respect.

"But we do not respect Kurti's regime, which tramples on the rights of Serbs and all other non-Albanians. I called on Albanians to reject this ethnonationalist policy of division that keeps both us and them trapped in Kosovo and Metohija and constantly pushes the entire region into the past," said Minister Djuric, adding that Gervalla responded to his outstretched hand with insults and attempts to humiliate Serbia.

Djuric pointed out that it is important to demonstrate to the international community that Serbia is a country that treats all citizens equally, regardless of nationality.

In response to Gervalla's statement that there is no discrimination in Kosovo, along with her assessment that the UNMIK report is "incomplete and pro-Serbian in tone," he reminded that 20% of Serbs under Kurti's terror had to leave Kosovo.

Commenting on the addresses of diplomatic representatives from UN Security Council member states, he said that he is primarily grateful to the representatives of the permanent members of the Council who supported Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as to those who did not, but who spoke about the difficult position of the Serbian people in Kosovo and about Kurti's unilateral measures that undermine dialogue, the survival of the Serbian people, and stability in the region.

"This shows that our diplomatic action has results and that we must continue to work much harder in the coming period to win over those who do not support our position regarding status but who have the space to at least support the human rights of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," Djuric added.

He noted that a balanced approach was noticeable among most representatives of the international community and that it is significant that UNMIK chief Caroline Ziadeh presented at least part of the facts about what is happening in Kosovo.