Petkovic: Kosovo Serbs today on Vidovdan, where they have always been – at their ancestral hearths

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, stated that the Serbian people from Kosovo were today, on Vidovdan, where they had always been – at their ancestral hearths. He encouraged the people to be patient and endure in times of terror and persecution, as better times will come and the Serbian people will survive as they always have.

"To the entire Serbian people, both in the country and in the diaspora, I wish a happy Vidovdan, which represents the very core of the Serbian essence and a covenantal name that has stamped Serbian existence. I especially wish the holiday to the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija because they have always celebrated it at their ancestral hearths," Petkovic said on RTS.

When asked where the Serbs in Kosovo are today, Petkovic noted that the Serbian people were where they had always been, at their ancestral hearths with their church, monasteries, and the state of Serbia.

"Throughout all these centuries, many global powers have tried to change this reality, but the Serbian people have endured and will continue to endure. This is something that is part of the Serbian national identity and our Kosovo covenant," the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said.

Commenting on the justification given by the Kosovo authorities for banning his travel to Kosovo for Vidovdan, Petkovic said there was no justification.

"This is the 15th time in a row that I have been banned from entering Kosovo and Metohija, all agreements are being violated, Kurti does not care about anything, not even the dialogue. When the main negotiator is banned from entering Kosovo and Metohija, and I am the one most directly responsible for the dialogue process between Belgrade and Pristina on behalf of Serbia, it is clear that Pristina wants to expel the state of Serbia from Kosovo," he emphasized.

He added that he received only an email from Pristina stating that his visit was banned, even though Serbia always sends timely notifications about the visit.

"When the visit is denied to Patriarch Porfirije and he cannot visit his Pec Patriarchate, it becomes clear. It would be like someone banning Pope Francis from entering the Vatican. That's where we stand today," the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija stressed.

The day after the dialogue, Serb Srdjan Lazovic was arrested, and the expulsion of Serbs continued. Petkovic said that Albin Kurti continued his anti-Serb policy of expelling Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija.

"This has been particularly intense in the past two years in northern Kosovo with the arrest of Serbs. Most of the arrests involve decent people without criminal records. Srdjan Lazovic is an honest man, a homeowner. Everyone in Leposavic speaks highly of him; he lives there in his family home with his wife and three children. He is accused of an alleged war crime in Djakovica. During the war, he was a young man and had never been to Djakovica, as confirmed by his wife. Her statements align with the information we have. There is also a photograph published by Albanian media claiming Srdjan is in it, but it is not authentic. It is not Srdjan. Everyone is being arrested indiscriminately, and that is the worst part. We have guarantees from the EU and the US that Serbs who participated in protests and on barricades will not be arrested, but look at what is happening," Petkovic emphasized.

He added that he had had numerous meetings in Brussels two days ago, where Vucic had many bilateral talks in the morning.

"The meetings Vucic had with Lajcak and Borrell were correct. They understand that Serbia has done everything it could, but Kurti refused to talk. We agreed to talks, but when it comes to negotiations, he can be firm in his positions, but Kurti did not want to talk," he said.

He emphasized that the EU had clearly stated this time that Kurti was to blame because he had refused to talk even though he had been in the next room.

"Whether he was afraid to sit down and talk with President Aleksandar Vucic or not, we will see. The EU did not use its usual phrase that both sides are responsible but clearly stated that Kurti avoids dialogue and the normalization process. But we must preserve peace, and that is our message here on Vidovdan. Kurti only seeks provocation and a reaction from the Serbs in Kosovo. President Vucic urges our people to be patient and restrained. We will always be there for our people. This may sound too mild in these times of terror, but we know why we say it, and the time will come when this tyranny in Kosovo and Metohija will end, and then the real dialogue will begin," Petkovic emphasized.

Next week, he will be back in Brussels for the continuation of the dialogue at a technical level.

"I expect nothing. We go prepared, with all the topics on the table, ready to discuss everything, but we particularly insist on the Community of Serb Municipalities, which is crucial for the survival of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and for the future. We will do everything to protect the Serbs in Kosovo with this approach. The international community sees everything, but they must still support their protege. Kurti is being given a pass, and I hope not for much longer," he stated.

He emphasized that he had no complaints about Miroslav Lajcak and Josep Borrell because they were correct.

"The most powerful in the EU have a different approach, a mentoring approach toward Kosovo. I do not believe that Kurti alone decides on everything that is happening on the ground, I believe someone else supports him. But we must simply do everything we can to preserve peace, and that is the main message on Vidovdan," Petkovic concluded.