Petkovic: Kurti wants to deprive the Serbian people of their rights; de-escalation is the first priority

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, emphasized that Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, by shutting down Serbian institutions, is trying to expel the presence of the Serbian state and strip the Serbian people of their rights by dissolving the Serb List, and also seeking to cover up his failure in the elections.

Speaking on RTS’s news program, Petkovic said that the session of the National Security Council, chaired by the Supreme Commander and President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, addressed issues directly linked to national security and the protection of state and national interests.

He added that regarding peace in the region, they also discussed the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the position of Republika Srpska, which he described as significantly strained.

“There was also discussion about the situation in Kosovo, the difficult position of the Serbian people, and the daily attacks by the Pristina authorities, as well as Albin Kurti’s unilateral and escalatory actions. Kurti is already quite nervous because he cannot form a government or parliament,” Petkovic explained.

He stressed that this is Kurti’s way of masking his electoral failure.

Petkovic stated that Kurti has three goals in closing Serbian institutions in Kosovo.

“First, he wants to expel the presence of the Serbian state from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija. Second, he wants to deprive the Serbian people of their rights, given that these are key Serbian institutions providing vital services, and their closure is related to basic human rights in Kosovo and Metohija, rights that Kurti consistently violates. Third, he wants to politically disenfranchise the Serbian people by attempting to shut down the Serb List,” Petkovic said, recalling Kurti’s statement that a historic opportunity was missed to eliminate the Serb List and give space to Nenad Rasic and other Serbian parties.

Petkovic emphasized that the Serbian parties Kurti supports do not care about the interests of the Serbian people or Belgrade, but rather about the interests of Pristina.

“This move to shut down Serbian institutions shows that Kurti does not want dialogue, does not want the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, because he operates under the maxim that if there are no Serbs, there are no problems. By dismantling Serbian institutions, which were supposed to form the foundation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, Kurti wants to say there is no need for the CSM, a structure we have been waiting for 12 years. We insist on it in dialogue and in talks with the EU, demanding that someone finally compel Albin Kurti to meet his obligations,” Petkovic stated.

Asked who should compel Kurti to fulfill his obligations, Petkovic said it is first necessary to assess what the EU is doing to pressure Kurti and stop the persecution of Serbs in Kosovo.

“Although we have initiated important topics in the dialogue, we demand that de-escalation be placed at the top of the agenda. Without it, there are no basic human rights for Serbs in Kosovo, and we’ll see continued raids by Kurti’s special forces on Serbian institutions. How can dialogue continue when the reality on the ground is being changed? Kurti’s actions show what he thinks of Serbs. That is why de-escalation must be the number one priority, with the ‘status quo ante’ meaning a return to the previous state, where we must discuss our institutions in Kosovo and Metohija and all issues affecting the rights of the Serbian people there,” Petkovic explained.

He added that the West is not reacting when Serbian institutions are closed.

Regarding EU High Representative Kaja Kallas’s statement that de-escalation in the north is a condition for lifting measures against Kosovo, Petkovic said those measures are not even real.

“If that is the condition for lifting the measures against Kosovo, we see they are not genuine, because if they were, Kurti would stop attacking Serbs and institutions. Clearly, if Kurti continues this daily, it means he has someone’s support,” Petkovic said, adding that it is no surprise he responded to a statement by the German ambassador in Pristina, Jorn Rohde, who said Serbian institutions must be closed.

“These are not some para-state institutions, as Rohde claims, they are legal and legitimate institutions of the Republic of Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija. It is good that we now know who is behind Kurti and his actions. It’s clear from the beginning that Kurti doesn’t have the strength to implement this alone. The problem is that the international community applies double standards, Kurti is coddled, and his actions are overlooked. When it comes to Belgrade, if they say both sides are responsible, we know that Pristina is the one actually responsible because we have fulfilled our part. Belgrade is always the one punished, and Kurti rewarded,” Petkovic said.

He emphasized that the National Security Council established that the red lines are the respect for the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia.

“We will never give that up, Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia and will remain so. That is why the current government in Belgrade doesn’t suit Kurti. That is why he supports protesters and blockaders in Belgrade, hoping someone will come to power in Serbia who will give him everything he wants. Our red lines are clear. We will not abandon the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, we will fight for them, find ways, and intensify diplomatic efforts so the world knows what is happening in Kosovo and Metohija,” Petkovic concluded.