Petkovic: The five opposition provocateurs from Zubin Potok do not represent the Serbs

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, pointed out today that the incident on Christmas Eve in Zubin Potok and the counter-rally in North Mitrovica had been intended to help Albin Kurti cover up the wounding of Serbian children in Strpce.

"In Zubin Potok, we are talking about a marginal incident that was caused by five provocateurs sent by the opposition to interrupt the prayer and insult the state of Serbia, Bishop Teodosije, and me in the most insulting way," Petkovic explained on TV Happy.

Petkovic reminded that more than 500 people had attended the burning of the Serbian Christmas tree in Zubin Potok and that the five provocateurs had tried to destroy it.

"Immediately, it started to spread on social networks, considering that they were sent by the opposition, the same people who are behind the counter-rally. Everyone in Zubin Potok condemns them, and they showed what they think of themselves, considering the way they acted at the church gate on Christmas Eve reacted. I calmly and dignified kept everything quiet, also because I didn't want to give space to Kurti - for it to be the main news in their media in order to hide the shooting of Serbian children," Petkovic said.

Petkovic pointed out that the fact was that those who did this work did it for Kurti - so that he would use such incidents and events for his media to attack the state of Serbia and President Aleksandar Vucic.

There had been only 43 participants at the meeting, which had been organized, as Dveri said, by Jeremic and other right-wing organizations, most of who came from central Serbia.

"There were 7,000 people at the protest in Strpce, 500 people in Zubin Potok, and all this shows that the people are with the state of Serbia, and there are almost no people who beat their chests in Kosovo and Metohija to get political points," he said.

Petkovic pointed out that the people despised their politics, so they were trying to attack the state of Serbia with incidents, in collusion with Kurti.

"What kind of person do you have to be to send a provocateur to attack the bishop, to interrupt the prayer when Serbian children are injured – just to make it the main news for Kurti," he underlined.

Petkovic pointed out that the Serbs had been clay pigeons in Kosovo for a long time, primarily because of the Serb-hating policy of Kurti, who was doing everything to expel the Serbs from Kosovo.

"KFOR's negative response, which came only two hours after the shooting of Serbian children, is the best indicator that Kurti is not doing it alone, but that he has the support of those countries from the West who want Kosovo to be completely independent and to pressure Serbia to recognize Kosovo. As long as Vucic is in the position of President of Serbia, that will never happen," he underlined.

Kurti, he says, is trying to cover up a bad economic policy and ensure his stay in power with his Serb-hating policy.

"That Serb-hating policy and rhetoric, that is shown every day, spread hatred in the society of Kosovo and encourages attacks on Serbs," he said.

Petkovic believes that without the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, there are no collective rights for the Serbs in Kosovo because Kurti tramples and kills the human rights of the Serbs every day.

He pointed out that the Serbian children had been shot by a member, of the so-called Kosovo security forces, who was in uniform.

"We don't need KFOR to deal with barricades, but to protect the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," he underlined.
He reminded that the Kosovo authorities had not allowed him to visit the wounded children in the hospital, even though he had already been in Kosovo.

"They wanted to cover up the truth about what had happened that day in Gotovusa. Then they also tried to distort the statement of the mother, that that member of the Kosovo security forces shot into the ground. The wounded children themselves confirmed that firearms had been pointed directly at them," he added.

Petkovic pointed out that Nenad Rasic and Rada Trajkovic had never stood up for our people, but only flattered Kurti.

"They make all duplicitous statements that can be interpreted in several ways, so as not to anger Kurti," he pointed out.
Speaking about the received guarantees from KFOR, NATO, the EU, and the USA, he emphasized that there were no major guarantees.

"Only those forces can exert the necessary pressure on Pristina. We have guarantees that the Kosovo security forces with riffles cannot go north, and as far as ROSU is concerned, there is a tough fight ahead to prevent them from coming, because that violates all agreements, above all the Brussels Agreement, its point 10, which states that only those Serb-majority police forces can be in the north. There are no Serbs in the police now, but there are KFOR and EULEX that can fill the vacuum created by the abandonment of Kosovo institutions," he explained.

He said that the Serbs in Kosovo could still expect the full support of President Vucic and the state of Serbia.

He reminded that the Office was investing more than ever in the area of Kosovo.

"With the investment plan, we managed to invest more money than in the last 40 years. Clinical and hospital centers are being renovated, roads are being fixed, new kindergartens are being built, and we have arranged over 70 clinics and schools. A magnificent building of the Rectorate in Kosovska Mitrovica is emerging," Petkovic explained.

He also said that the state was doing everything to release the arrested Serbs, adding that the received guarantees said that no one would be arrested for participating in the barricades.