Petkovic: For 12 full years, Pristina has refused to form the CSM; major responsibility lies with Brussels

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, pointed out that on this day exactly 12 years ago, the First Agreement on the Principles of Normalization of Relations between Belgrade and Pristina was signed, also known as the Brussels Agreement, and he emphasized that the EU, as the guarantor of the signed agreement, has not engaged in pressuring Pristina to "honor" its commitments.

Petkovic stressed that for a full 12 years, exactly 4,383 days, Pristina has refused to implement the Brussels Agreement.

"In fact, a large part of the responsibility lies with Brussels for the fact that the Community of Serb Municipalities has not been formed to this day. The first six points of the Brussels Agreement directly and explicitly refer to Pristina’s obligation to establish the CSM, which highlights it as the central element of the entire agreement and the normalization process between Belgrade and Pristina. It represents the foundation for the sustainable and safe survival of the Serbian people in their centuries-old homes. Instead of the CSM, today we are facing, due to Pristina's escalatory, illegal, unilateral and violent actions, a wave of persecution and displacement of Serbs, with some of our people forced to leave the north of Kosovo and Metohija in the past two years due to Albin Kurti’s terror. The fact that Pristina has not enabled the formation of the Community to this day, and that the political representatives of the provisional self-government institutions have on multiple occasions openly stated they are not interested in the topic, or that the Brussels Agreement is no longer relevant to them, proves that the process of normalization is in deep crisis," Petkovic said.

He emphasized that it is time for the CSM to be urgently established, and that in this regard, Belgrade insists this essential issue take precedence over all others in the dialogue.

"Belgrade, for its part, has fulfilled all of its commitments under the Brussels Agreement, and more, and has consistently maintained that problems in relations with the provisional self-government institutions in Pristina, as well as challenges on the ground, can be resolved exclusively through dialogue and a willingness to compromise. Since Albin Kurti’s structures came to power in the provisional institutions, Pristina has openly and clearly rejected dialogue as a means of resolving issues, embracing instead a principle of unilateral actions aimed at drastically altering the situation on the ground. Instead of normalization, due to Pristina’s actions, we are facing the reality that Kosovo and Metohija has become a constant source of regional destabilization. Instead of a Community, which was supposed to lay firm and reliable foundations for the survival and guaranteed political and human rights of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, we are witnessing a policy of disenfranchisement and persecution of the Serbian people on the ground," the Director of the Office said.

Petkovic stated that the policy based on the premise that, if there are no Serbs in Kosovo, there is no need for normalization of relations, is at its core an "ideology of hatred" with the potential to provoke a new wave of instability and conflict in the region.

"That is why it is important for the international community, especially the EU, as the mediating party in the normalization process, to take decisive steps to bring Pristina back from the path of unilateral actions and provocations, and to return in earnest to the negotiating table. We repeat once again that dialogue, with consistent respect for the letter and spirit of the Brussels Agreement, is essential for maintaining regional stability, and Belgrade will remain ready to participate in a meaningful and constructive way in creating a healthy political and economic environment for all residents of the Western Balkans," Petkovic concluded.