Petkovic: Belgrade supports the Serb List; Serbs' struggle for survival is extremely difficult

Petar Petkovic, Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, stated that Belgrade welcomes the decision of the Serb List to participate in the elections on February 9 in Pristina and to secure all 10 guaranteed seats in the parliament.

Speaking on TV Prva, Petkovic emphasized that the struggle for the survival of Serbs in Kosovo is extremely difficult, made even harder since Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti came to power.

“Over the past three years, there have been more than 550 incidents and attacks against Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church, illustrating the level of anti-Serb policies in Pristina and their stance toward Serbs and anything Serbian. Despite the challenges and immense pressure, our people are more determined and resilient in their commitment to remain. That is why Belgrade supports the decision of the Serb List to participate in the elections on February 9 in Pristina and secure all 10 guaranteed seats in parliament. The hardships Serbs in northern Kosovo have endured in recent months have strengthened their resolve and the Serb List’s will to achieve victory. The list of 48 candidates demonstrates the seriousness of the Serb List. It represents the strength of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. It is the sole legitimate representative of Serbs in the region, featuring doctors, professors, and other important and courageous individuals. Among them is Dragica Gasic, the only woman who returned to her hometown of Djakovica after the war and remains steadfast in her decision to live in her apartment and city despite constant attacks and pressure. Belgrade expects the Serb List to give its utmost in this democratic struggle,” Petkovic said.

When asked about expectations for the elections, Petkovic said the stakes are high.

“Kurti will do everything to undermine the legitimacy and victory of the Serb List. For Kurti, it is important to fill the 10 guaranteed seats for Serbs with individuals like Rasic, who prioritize personal interests over the interests of the Serbian people. That is why the victory of the Serb List is crucial. Their decision to run in the elections is a way to fight for the rights of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija,” he stated.

Asked why the international community fails to address violations of Serb rights, Petkovic pointed out that the suffering of Serbs often goes unnoticed.

“When Serbs are beaten or innocent people are arrested, no one intervenes. Serbs are searched at every turn, while the Kosovo Police have overrun northern Kosovo with checkpoints, creating a militarized environment that prevents normal life. We have seen sham elections used to install puppet mayors in northern Kosovo, who now control these municipalities. Meanwhile, critical services such as financial transactions and pension disbursements are being disrupted. Despite all this, the international community responds only with statements, offering no real action to prevent Kurti from continuing the persecution of Serbs in northern Kosovo,” Petkovic said.

Petkovic also warned that Kurti’s campaign will involve attempts to discredit the Serb List.

“Svecla has already begun spinning the narrative that the Serb List was involved in the May attacks last year, even though it was their representatives protesting peacefully outside the municipal building in Zvecan. Ironically, Svecla himself was involved in throwing stones at EULEX vehicles. This clearly shows their fear of the Serb List’s victory. Everything bad for Pristina is good for Serbs, which explains the daily attacks on Vucic and the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, and the bans on my visits to Kosovo. Their hatred stems from the fact that Vucic is a barrier to Pristina’s ambitions to expel Serbs,” he said.

Commenting on Serbian Representative Biljana Pantic Pilja’s statement that diplomatic efforts by Serbia prevented Kosovo from gaining special guest status in the Council of Europe, Petkovic noted:

“We are actively working to inform the international community about the realities in Kosovo. Kurti is relentless in his efforts to harm the Serbian population. Kosovo will never become a state, nor will Serbia ever recognize it as such. The Council of Europe is for states, and Kosovo is not one. Despite their attempts with international backers to consolidate their so-called independence, our diplomatic efforts are yielding results, as demonstrated by Serbia’s success in removing this issue from the Council of Europe’s agenda – a small but significant diplomatic victory.”

As he says, he does not expect anything from the new round of dialogue in Brussels on December 17.

“You can see the outcome of the negotiations in the previous period. As the chief negotiator at the technical level, I am always in Brussels with experts, we arrive prepared with proposals, ready to negotiate and fight for compromises. We know that this is the only way we can protect our people, first and foremost through the CSM. But then, Bislimi says he doesn't have the mandate to talk about that, that they are not interested in the CSM, and that he can only talk about recognition. Bislimi is pretending to participate in the dialogue, but in essence, they are doing the exact opposite and directly violating all agreements. They have flooded the north with Albanians and the Kosovo Police. By doing this, they are violating point 9 of the Brussels Agreement. They want to close our schools and violate the agreement. We are doing everything, but what is needed is the will,” he emphasized.

According to him, normalization is possible only if agreements are respected.

"Agreements must be respected. Why did we make all those agreements? All these issues are important for the life of Serbs in Kosovo. What kind of normalization are you talking about when you have daily violations, and Kurti is destroying everything. We will insist on a trilateral meeting, and I want Bislimi to tell me to my face that Serbs have anything to do with the diversion of part of the Ibar-Lepenac canal because Serbs have nothing to do with that. Kurti has no evidence. Yesterday, Vucic asked why the Kosovo Police contaminated the area so that forensic investigation could not be carried out. Why, nine minutes after the explosion, did Kurti ask KFOR to let the KSF enter, even though they didn’t have permission, and KFOR said they would secure the critical infrastructure? It is clear that someone had a motive to use this attack to accuse Belgrade and the Serb List. But we expect the Serb List to fight resolutely and win because it is in everyone's interest for the survival of Serbs," Petkovic concluded.