Odalovic and Berisha: CBK's decision on payment transactions a continuation of Kurti's institutional terror against Serbs

The President of the Commission of the Government of Serbia for Missing Persons, Veljko Odalovic, and the President of the Albanian National Council in Serbia, Demo Berisha, agree that the decision of the Central Bank of Kosovo on payment transactions represents a continuation of what Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has been doing for years, which, as they say, is the implementation of institutional terror against Serbs in Kosovo, and they point out that the bigger problem is the international community allowing him to behave in this way.

Odalovic stated on TV Pink that the decision of the Central Bank of Kosovo on payment transactions was a continuation of what Albin Kurti had been doing for years, ever since he had appeared on the political scene, and he emphasizes that, concerning Kurti, this was nothing new.

He points out that the bigger problem is those who support him and allow him to behave this way.

"The problem here is not Kurti, but those who support him in doing this. Nobody has stopped him in his actions. There is no measure preventing Kurti's institutional terror," said Odalovic.

The consequences of the decision of the "self-proclaimed state's bank," as Odalovic puts it, will affect thousands of families receiving salaries and pensions in healthcare, education, and many other areas, not only Serbs but also Albanians and Gorani.

"In this way, Kurti renders it meaningless and abolishes it," he added.

When asked how Kurti can do that, Odalovic said in the same way he could arm himself.

"The Americans who support the dialogue sell him weapons, Turkey sells him weapons, he participates in NATO exercises, everything that belongs to a state," he said.

Odalovic hopes that the chaotic process regarding the petition to remove mayors in four municipalities in the north will yield results for Serbs to be represented in institutions again and to resist in that way. However, he emphasizes that the entire process of electing new mayors will be complicated and points out that this way, mayors will be replaced, but not the councilors who also make decisions.

Demo Berisha told TV Pink that the situation related to payment transactions had been Kurti's way of acting for years, and this was the finalization of that.

He notes that whenever the situation calms down, Kurti finds some similar action that would escalate tensions.

"Even Albanians receive pensions in dinars; the question is, how will these people living in places where there is only an ATM from the Postal Savings Bank receive pensions," Berisha points out.

Emphasizing that Kurti knows what he is doing and does it systematically, Berisha points out that the problem is the international community, which had the same rhetoric yesterday.

"Again, the same rhetoric; we heard it from Lajcak – 'they warned, it cannot be like that,' but they did nothing to return the situation to its original state," Berisha stresses.

He mentions that there is again an attack on the Serb List in Kosovo regarding the petition to remove mayors.

"Yesterday's surprise was again, why do Serbs want to create their government. We had a new attack on Simic. The duplicity of the Germans with the support of the Americans by strengthening the KSF system in terms of arming, organization, and engagement in NATO shows that they will let Kurti do whatever he wants, and next, they will try to exclude the healthcare and education system from Serbian institutions," Berisha notes.

As he says, Kurti's goal is to reduce and expel Serbs from the north, which he has territorially occupied.

Berisha also mentions that when it is time to form the Community of Serb Municipalities, Kurti will go to elections, which will lead to losing another year.

"And during that time, he will terrorize Serbs," Berisha adds.

The Central Bank of Kosovo announced yesterday that, at the meeting held on December 27, the bank's board adopted a regulation on cash transactions, according to which the only currency that can be used in Kosovo for cash transactions, in cash and the payment system, is the euro. This means that as of February 1, when the regulation comes into force, the Serbian dinar cannot be used.