Petkovic: Another year full of challenges ahead for Serbs in Kosovo, because peace is not as sacred to Kurti as it is to us

Kurti is problematic both ideologically and character-wise and as such is enough in itself to cause destabilization, and I want to tell our people that it is important to continue to preserve unity because that is the only way we are strong enough to overcome all challenges, said the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija of the Government of Serbia, Petar Petkovic for Informer.

"Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija have another year full of challenges ahead of them, because for Kurti, peace is not as sacred as it is for us," said Petkovic.

The Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija will celebrate Christmas at home after all, they removed the barricades, clearly stated that they want peace? Do you expect new provocations from Pristina in the coming year?

We are fighting for peace and we hope that our people will celebrate the holidays in peace and at their homes, and as for the provocations of Pristina, you never know because Kurti is ready for anything. Peace is not sacred to Kurt like it is to us. Today in Pristina, we have a conflicting and militant government that creates a huge inter-ethnic gap, so these are all factors that will pose challenges to our people in the coming year as well. But as long as the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are united and as long as they have the clear and strong support of their country of Serbia and President Aleksandar Vucic, we will be able to overcome any challenge together. This was also seen in the example of the Serbian peaceful resistance to the barricades, when the voice of our people was finally heard in the West. After that, along with our round-the-clock diplomatic struggle, there were guarantees from the EU, the USA and KFOR that there is no list for the arrest of Serbs from the barricades, that KSF cannot go to the north of Kosovo and Metohija without the consent of KFOR and representatives of Serbs from the north, and Dejan Pantic will celebrate the holidays in a hug of his son and wife at their house, while we continue to fight for Adzic and Trajkovic. At the moment when everything was on the verge of conflict, we got the most we could, we saved the lives of our people and ensured peace. 

Kurti crossed all common sense boundaries and with every new move he incurs the wrath of the Serbian people. Do you think he's doing it in an orchestrated way or does he just think he's showing some force?

The statements of certain representatives of Western countries in Pristina during the crisis we had in the previous weeks clearly confirm that there is synchronization between Kurti and certain centers of power in Europe. Let's face it, Kurti is problematic both ideologically and character-wise and as such is enough in itself to produce destabilization. However, the real danger arises when in that business he acts in agreement with certain sponsors of the self-proclaimed "Kosovo", because then it is more difficult to restrain him.

Is it possible to continue the dialogue under these circumstances, as they are now?

Serbia is always open to dialogue, because we are fundamentally in the position that it is better to negotiate for a hundred years than to have one day of conflict on the ground. Pristina has proven countless times to be an unreliable and unfaithful participant in the dialogue, and it is justified to question the meaning of such talks, however, the alternative to dialogue is unilateral moves, conflicts, destabilization... We have a clear position that the establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities must be resolved in order to be able to continue dialogue and the normalization of relations because with this, among other things, we defend the meaning of the dialogue that has been going on for years with the mediation of the EU.

Is it possible to expect that KFOR will respond to Serbia's request for the return of up to 1,000 members of the security forces to Kosovo and Metohija in accordance with Resolution 1244?

Serbia submitted the request in a formal manner to the commander of KFOR, in accordance with Resolution 1244, and it is KFOR's obligation to respond to us. Although we are not naive about what the answer will be, the decision to send the request is in itself very important because it is in accordance with international law, but also with all the international obligations of the State of Serbia. Our request is based on international law, and the right to return up to a thousand members of our security forces to Kosovo is not an arbitrary issue, that is, there is no room for doubt as to whether our request is founded or not. In Resolution 1244, such an obligation clearly and unambiguously exists. Our demand is therefore legal, but at the same time it is also justified, because the events on the ground have shown that Serbs are more and more often victims of the arbitrariness and cruelty of Pristina and Kurti's terror. Serbs have suffered a lot in the presence of KFOR, so it is high time that KFOR fulfills its mandate and protects the Serbian people. If he won't or can't do it, there is someone who will! I am convinced that the presence of our forces on the ground would contribute to peace, security of the Serbian people and overall stability in Kosovo and Metohija.

What would you wish the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija in the New Year?

I wish our brothers and sisters in the Kosovo and Metohija to continue building the future for themselves and their children with the same strength, will and faith, and we will always be by their side, side by side. Our people have been de facto living under a state of emergency for more than two decades, and they have put a lot of things behind their backs, and peace is what they desperately want. I want to tell our people that it is important that they continue to preserve unity because that is the only way we are strong enough to overcome all challenges. But, above all, I wish them peace, that that every child has a peaceful sleep, that no parent is afraid when they send their child to kindergarten or school. These are essential things and we will continue to fight for that peace, although it is clear to everyone that it does not depend only on us.