Petkovic: Difficult talks in Brussels, Bislimi came unprepared

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, stated that the talks in Brussels had been difficult because the main negotiator of Pristina, Besnik Bislimi, had come unprepared to the meeting, unlike the Serbian delegation.

Petkovic stated that Serbia and the EU had presented concrete proposals regarding the CSM and missing persons, to which Bislimi had responded that Pristina would send its proposals within a week.

"Monday was a challenging day, the negotiations lasted for eight hours. Bislimi is unserious and unprepared, and it is impossible to have a conversation with him. Our side came prepared, with over seven experts, proposals, and all the necessary documents. The EU presented proposals regarding the drafting of the CSM Statute, actions regarding missing persons, and the work plan of the Commission overseeing the entire implementation process. Instead of that being the topic and question of how to proceed, Bislimi came and said that they would send their proposals in seven days," Petkovic stated.

He emphasizes that through its approach, Pristina does not seek progress in the dialogue but rather behaves insolently towards officials and the international community.

He adds that Bislimi did not want to discuss missing persons, energy, or even the CSM, claiming that he did not know what the Community of Serb Municipalities is.

"They don't want to talk. The first topic is the CSM; our people have been waiting for its formation for ten years. Incidents occur because Serbs are unprotected and there is no mechanism to protect collective and individual rights. He mocks the dialogue and the EU and says he doesn't know what the CSM is. So, what do you know then? You came to talk about energy, but you don't want to talk. And he is, by the way, an expert on missing persons. He gives purely political assessments and brutally attacks Aleksandar Vucic and the people in Kosovo and Metohija. I didn't hold back and responded to him as he deserved. When he mentions the Constitution of Kosovo, I bring up our Constitution, the UN Charter, and Resolution 1244, according to which Kosovo is not and will not be a state. If we talk about normalizing relations, it doesn't have to end with mutual recognition, but relations and security need to be normalized, as well as other important issues," Petkovic said.

According to him, any progress on the issue of missing persons is sabotaged and rejected by Pristina.

"Pristina constantly uses the issue of missing persons to gain political points, but when it comes to shedding light on the fate of the missing, they avoid the topic. We have been waiting for two years because Kurti refused, while we accepted everything. We understand this issue from a civilizational perspective, not a political one, seeking the truth and justice to allow families to find out the fate of their loved ones. After the adoption of the Declaration, we were supposed to discuss it, but Bislimi refused; he doesn't want to talk about it. We came prepared, with Odalovic present as a representative for missing persons. I asked for it to be put on the agenda, to discuss this matter, but Bislimi said that if Odalovic enters the room, he will leave. In the end, only Lajcak, Bislimi, and I remained. I raised the question of what the purpose of such a dialogue is when experts cannot participate. Pristina is allowed to behave this way, and Lajcak agrees that I am right. When Resolution 1244 is mentioned, Bislimi reacts strongly; he is not interested in compromise. He wants to solve the CSM based on the five criteria that they have set, which are not written anywhere. The CSM will have executive powers; I read to him point 16 that says the CSM is financed by Serbia, and he can't bear it," Petkovic says.

On that occasion, he reminded of the words of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic regarding Pristina's intention not to form the CSM, and he commented on the new mayors in the northern municipalities.

"Aleksandar Vucic reiterated to the foreigners, Lajcak and Borrell, that Pristina will not form the CSM. As the days go by, you can see that he was 100% right; they don't want the CSM. It is important to understand that we need to engage in dialogue so that we are not accused of anything. Kosovo is the West's child that is never at fault. We have our people down there that we must protect. They want to forcibly appoint a mayor on May 19th, but whose mayor is he? The elections were violent, in containers, where the Kosovo Police counted the ballots; there is no such thing anywhere, and the West says it is democratic," Petkovic said.

He says that the resolution of the Council of Europe that protects the integrity of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia shows the hypocrisy of the West.

"On that example and Serbia's reasonable request, the hypocrisy of the West can be seen because they cannot tolerate the fact that they defend the territorial integrity of Ukraine while they have violated ours. What bothers you? The UN Charter applies to Ukraine but not to Serbia. Their hypocrisy is evident in their selective adherence to international law and principles. We must protect peace and vital interests. That's why the President did not sign anything, and we are moving towards implementation, but we will not recognize Kosovo, neither de jure nor de facto," Petkovic concluded.