Petkovic: The draft of the Statute is the backbone of the CSM, and it must be in accordance with the agreements reached

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, stated that the main topic of discussion between the Belgrade delegation and the EU Special Representative for the dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, and his team in Brussels had been the draft of the Statute of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, which, as he stated, should be the backbone of the CSM and must be in accordance with the agreements from 2013 and 2015.

Petkovic conveyed that the Belgrade delegation had come to Brussels with as many as 18 experts from various fields, reflecting the seriousness and responsibility of the dialogue process with Pristina.

"The draft of the CSM Statute was on the agenda as the first concrete step towards the formation of the CSM, which the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija have been awaiting for more than 10 years. The talks will continue", Petkovic told reporters.

He thanked all the experts who, he said, had spoken very logically and clearly about all aspects of the draft of the statute, especially regarding the executive competencies of the CSM - spatial planning, health, education, economic development, and, notably, that Belgrade should finance the CSM.

Petkovic added that other important issues had also been on the agenda, such as energy and the issue of missing persons, where he expected some progress.

"We talked with Miroslav Lajcak's team, but our experts also engaged in discussions with EU experts on all the topics on today's agenda. I expect that we will continue discussions in the coming period because the CSM Statute is an extremely important document, and we pay attention to every word because it should represent the backbone of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, and everything must be in line with the agreements from 2013 and 2015 that deal with the formation of the CSM", Petkovic emphasized.

He also stated that after more than five hours of talks in Brussels, he was returning to Belgrade convinced that progress towards the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina could only be achieved through dialogue and compromise solutions.

He emphasized that Belgrade was a dedicated party.

"We are absolutely committed to peace and stability. Therefore, it is important to find solutions through negotiations that will enable a better life for the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija", Petkovic said.

He also stated that during the discussions, he had once again pointed out the seriousness of the situation faced by the Serbs both north and south of the Ibar River, regarding all escalatory moves by Albin Kurti that question basic human rights, especially the right to life of the Serbs in Kosovo.

"I also emphasized the importance of holding Serbian elections in Kosovo scheduled for December 17, and once again stated that the situation we had in northern Kosovo, where illegal Albanian mayors led four Serbian municipalities, was unsustainable", Petkovic said.