Petkovic with Franges: Pristina to take concrete steps towards de-escalating the situation

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, met today with Slovenian Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Anzej Franges, and informed him about the comprehensive situation in Kosovo, emphasizing that it was necessary for Pristina to take concrete steps to de-escalate the situation in the north.

As stated in the press release from the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petkovic pointed out that Pristina had to refrain from unilateral, violent, and unlawful actions that daily terrorized the Serbs and created new crises and tensions on the ground.

"Petkovic pointed out to the interlocutors the constant institutional, political, and physical violence against the Serbs in Kosovo carried out by the Kurti regime, which on September 24 led to tragic events in Banjska, which Kurti's repressive regime uses daily for further crackdown on the Serbs," the statement said.

Petkovic also expressed concern about the frequent, unfounded, and unlawful arrests of the Serbs, as well as the daily actions of the special police in northern Kosovo.

"Belgrade is determined to resolve all outstanding issues peacefully within the framework of dialogue mediated by the EU. It is essential for Pristina to establish the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, which the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija have been waiting for for over ten years, as it is an obligation undertaken by Pristina in the Brussels dialogue. However, Albin Kurti, with his daily actions and inflammatory statements, undermines all the agreements reached so far," Petkovic emphasized.

The statement also adds that Petkovic drew attention to the fact that the authorities in Pristina, led by Albin Kurti, were trying in every way to prevent the holding of local elections in northern Kosovo, even though the Serb List had expressed its willingness to participate in them.

"At the end of the meeting, Petkovic concluded that Albin Kurti was the main culprit for the current unsustainable situation on the ground, which was leading the province and the entire region towards new tensions and crises, which was not in the direction of de-escalation but rather direct escalation of the situation in Kosovo, while Belgrade and the Serbs in Kosovo sought a lasting and sustainable peace in the province," as stated in the press release from the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

The Ambassador of Slovenia to Serbia, Damjan Bergant, also attended the meeting.