Petkovic: 2025 was an extremely difficult year for Serbs in Kosovo; Belgrade will never abandon its people

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, stated that 2025 was an exceptionally difficult year for Serbs in Kosovo, emphasizing that Belgrade will never abandon its people and will continue to fight for them everywhere and at every step—financially and politically, through dialogue and in talks with all relevant actors—while continuously drawing attention to the problems faced by Serbs in Kosovo, TV Most reports.

Petkovic expressed gratitude to the Serbian people in Kosovo for, as he said, heeding the voice of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, and the call of their state by turning out in large numbers for the elections held on 28 December.

“At those elections, when it comes to Serbian-majority areas, the Serb List won convincingly, which in fact confirmed what we all know—that the only legitimate representative of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija is the Serb List,” Petkovic said in an interview with TV Most.

He stressed that this is of great importance, as it shows that the issue of Serbian unity, cohesion, and strength is embodied above all in the Serb List, regardless of everything that has happened to Serbs both north and south of the Ibar over the past year, as well as throughout the years during which Albin Kurti has been in power.

“All of this failed to break the backbone of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija. On the contrary, in response to all the terror, arrests, incidents, and attacks, Serbs answered with even stronger and firmer unity. Throughout this time, the state of Serbia has stood by its people—and that is what matters most to us, because only when the state and the people stand together, with the Serb List and our Serbian Orthodox Church as a pillar of the survival of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, can the future of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija be secured,” Petkovic said.

He extended Christmas and New Year greetings to the Serbian people in Kosovo, wishing them that they enter the new year 2026 with more optimism and hope for a better tomorrow.

“To all families in Kosovo and Metohija, I wish good health, happiness, peace, and progress; that many children continue to be born in Serbian homes and Serbian communities; that we rally around our institutions, around our mother—the Church—and our holy sites; and that together with the state of Serbia, by fighting every day for a better tomorrow, we build a better future. This is the only prerequisite and the only way, ultimately, to overcome all the hardships our people face in Kosovo and Metohija,” Petkovic concluded.

As he noted, it has never been easy for the Serbian people in Kosovo, nor will it be easy in the period ahead.

“Our people are accustomed to living and fighting. Knowing that the state of Serbia and President Vucic stand with them and ahead of them, I believe everything will be much easier. Once again—long live!” Petkovic said.