Jevtic meets with Orav about problems of Serbs in Kosovo

The Head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, Aivo Orav, visited the Municipality of Strpce today and met with the municipality's president, Dalibor Jevtic. Jevtic stated that he discussed current issues and the possible further support of the EU Office to the Municipality of Strpce with Orav.

After the meeting, Jevtic emphasized that the conversation was substantive, and he informed the EU Ambassador about all the current topics, both in the Municipality of Strpce and generally.

"I specifically pointed out that some of the guarantees from the agreements we, as the Serbian community, had with the European Union are not being respected today. I highlighted the fact that our fellow citizens in Strpce and our compatriots in the north of Kosovo and Metohija are receiving calls to report to the police regarding interrogations about what they call actions against the constitutional order of Kosovo, which is one of the major concerns of Serbs in this area," Jevtic said.

He mentioned that he also pointed out to the ambassador the obstructions faced by the municipality under his leadership from the Kosovo Government.

"I pointed out everything that the Kosovo Government has done, particularly regarding the Municipality of Strpce, in terms of the obstructions we have faced over the years. We also discussed projects funded by the European Union in the territory of the municipality of Strpce, talked about Brezovica, and everything else that is essential to mention in such a meeting," said Jevtic.

He added that in the course of future discussions, he would have the opportunity to point out additional issues.

"What is primarily our position on some of these issues I reiterated to the ambassador is that when we talk about the economy, Brezovica must be under the administration of the Municipality of Strpce. When we talk about citizens' rights, there must be an end to the arrests and prosecutions of Serbs simply because they are Serbs, as this leads nowhere. I think that is the most important message I had the opportunity to present to the ambassador and to point out that we too have expectations that some things will change in the future when it comes to these problems," said Jevtic.

EU Ambassador to Kosovo, Aivo Orav, stated on the social media platform "X" that he had discussed with Jevtic how to align tourism with economic growth.

"With Mayor Dalibor Jevtic, we talked about how to align tourism with nature protection and economic growth. I emphasized that strengthening local and central ties and aligning with EU policies remain key. The EU is committed to supporting Kosovo on its European path," Orav wrote.