Petkovic: Discusses the difficult situation of Serbs in Kosovo and issues in the Dialogue with Sorensen

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, met today with the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Peter Sørensen.

Petkovic informed Sørensen about the difficult situation facing the Serbian people in Kosovo, as well as the challenges in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, which he attributed to the destructive actions of the Pristina authorities and their rejection of any idea of compromise, according to a statement from the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

"At this moment, the most important issue for Belgrade is the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, a key element of the dialogue so far. Belgrade will continue to clearly demand from both Pristina and Brussels that this obligation be fulfilled in accordance with the agreements signed by the dialogue participants in 2013 and 2015," Petkovic emphasized.

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija pointed out that in the previous period, the Pristina regime had unlawfully and forcefully shut down numerous Serbian institutions in Kosovo, which were intended to serve as the foundation for establishing the Community of Serb Municipalities. This, he said, was a clear signal that Pristina has no intention of implementing the agreed-upon framework.

"By shutting down social welfare centers, the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund, branches of Postal Savings Bank, and temporary governing bodies of Serbian municipalities, Pristina has undertaken a series of escalating moves against the Serbian people, endangering their rights and very existence," Petkovic stated. He added that all of Albin Kurti’s actions are aimed at the final expulsion of Serbs from Kosovo, in pursuit of his long-standing goal of an ethnically pure Kosovo.

During the meeting, Petkovic also highlighted the complete disenfranchisement of the Serbian people in Kosovo, as well as the daily terror and violence they are subjected to by the Pristina authorities.

"Belgrade remains committed to dialogue as a means of normalizing the situation in the province and the region, and to resolving all outstanding issues through peaceful and political means. However, it will also continue to insist on the full implementation of all agreements reached since 2013, without which normalization on the ground is impossible," Petkovic stressed.

He concluded that Pristina's unilateral and unlawful actions are causing further escalation, obstructing the continuation of the dialogue, and jeopardizing progress in the normalization process.

During the meeting, the President of the Commission for Missing Persons of the Republic of Serbia, Veljko Odalovic, informed the EU Special Representative for the dialogue about the challenges related to resolving the issue of missing persons. He emphasized the key importance of the Working Group on Missing Persons, which operates under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative and is chaired by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

In this context, Petkovic expressed Belgrade's willingness to support the EU Special Representative's efforts in building trust within the dialogue, primarily through discussions on the implementation of technical aspects of previously reached agreements regarding the fate of missing persons and the harmonization of certain certificates.

At the end of the conversation, the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, expressed hope that the obstacles causing the stagnation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue would be removed and that the EU would demonstrate the ability to move forward in the normalization process, primarily through the urgent formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities.