Petkovic: I call on everyone to visit Kosovo and Metohija more often; we continue to strongly support our people and holy sites

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, stated today at the Tourism Fair in Belgrade that every visit to Kosovo helped the survival and stay of the Serbs in their ancestral homes.

"Dear friends, brothers, and sisters, I have come here briefly today to greet everyone and especially to express respect to our people in Kosovo and Metohija who represent everything that makes up our Kosovo and Metohija when it comes to tourist destination, richness of cultural and historical heritage, gastronomy, but above all, our holy sites and our people living in Kosovo and Metohija," Petkovic said at the official opening of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija booth showcasing the tourist offer of Kosovo.

He emphasized that he had come briefly today because all his time, together with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, was dedicated to the diplomatic battle for the survival and stay of the Serbs in Kosovo.

He pointed out that the Serbs in Kosovo were facing difficult life circumstances due to unilateral, violent, and unlawful decisions by Pristina aimed at expelling the Serbs from their ancestral homes.

"Therefore, today it's difficult for me to talk about Kosovo and Metohija solely as our tourist destination, and throughout all days of the fair, much more competent people than myself will speak on that matter. I am here to call on all of you to visit Kosovo and Metohija much more because going to Kosovo and Metohija does not mean just a tourist trip to us; it's much more than that. It's a pilgrimage because we have whom and what to pay homage to, primarily our holy sites, our church, natural beauties, but also to our people, wonderful hosts from Pec to Novo Brdo, from Strpce to Leposavic," Petkovic said.

He expressed confidence that exhibitors in Kosovo would showcase all the richness that Kosovo and Metohija possessed in the coming days.

Furthermore, he emphasized that the state of Serbia was making every diplomatic effort to ensure the survival of the Serbs in their ancestral homes.

He called on the citizens of Serbia to stand by their people in Kosovo, together with the state, especially when Pristina abolished the dinar, and payment transactions, and prohibited salaries, pensions, and social benefits for the Serbs.

"Especially now, in these moments, it is crucial that we demonstrate full unity for our brave, patriotic Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija who are defending our name and identity on their ancestral lands. And as the state of Serbia, led by President Aleksandar Vucic, we will continue to strongly and decisively support our churches and monasteries, build hospitals, kindergartens, schools, repair roads, and everything else we do anyway," Petkovic stated.

He recalled that numerous projects had been halted by Pristina, especially concerning major investments, but also emphasized that this would not prevent Serbia from continuing to find ways to help its people and their survival in Kosovo.

"Opening the Office for Kosovo and Metohija's stand in these difficult conditions, I wish all present to have a great time. Our stand will have rich content, but I also invite them to talk to our people to see what more we can do to help our tourist organizations in Kosovska Mitrovica, Gracanica, and all other places because that is a way to help our people's survival in Kosovo and Metohija through concrete projects," Petkovic concluded.