Petkovic with Franges: Serbs in Kosovo and their elected representatives constantly targeted by Pristina

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic met today with the Special Envoy for the Western Balkans of Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anzej Franges, whom he briefed on the political and institutional violence being carried out against the Serbian people by the authorities in Pristina led by Albin Kurti.

Petkovic told his interlocutor that Serbs in Kosovo and their legitimately elected political representatives are constantly targeted by Pristina and are being denied basic political and human rights.

“This is also evidenced by the recent decision of the so called Central Election Commission not to recognize the results of the Serb List, thereby disputing the will of nearly 43,000 Serbs who voted for their representatives, which is unacceptable. On the other hand, Kurti wants to impose false representatives on the Serbs, whom they did not vote for and who work in the interests of Pristina. This only shows that Kurti is prepared to violate even his own regulations in order to harm the Serbian people,” Petkovic underlined, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement.

He also pointed to Pristina’s intention, through the Law on Foreigners and Vehicles, to create impossible living conditions for the Serbian population, to unlawfully seize Serbian health care and education institutions that are the backbone of the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, and, instead of respecting the agreements reached, to expel Serbs from their homes.

He stressed that this is why clear and unambiguous engagement by the international community is necessary to resolve these issues.

“Within the Brussels dialogue, Belgrade persistently and firmly insists on concrete steps toward the formation of the CSM, which our people have been waiting for for almost 13 years, and which is an obligation of Pristina whose implementation is guaranteed by the European Union itself. We will continue to insist on this in every round of dialogue, despite all the obstructions by Pristina, which seeks to evade its obligations,” Petkovic concluded.