Petkovic meets with Sørensen: Tangible progress in the dialogue requires concrete steps toward the formation of the CSM

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic met today in Belgrade with the European Union’s facilitator for the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue, Peter Sørensen, conveying the message that any tangible progress in the dialogue requires the initiation of concrete steps toward the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM), as well as the commencement of discussions on the draft CSM Statute.

Petkovic particularly warned that the postponement of the laws on foreigners and vehicles must not remain the ultimate outcome of the international community’s engagement with Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Instead, this period must be used to identify a sustainable solution in line with the agreements reached within the Dialogue, especially those pertaining to freedom of movement.

“Pristina continues to pursue new unilateral and escalatory actions. This is further evidenced by the unacceptable and malicious statements made by Besnik Bislimi, which demonstrate that Pristina, rather than engaging in dialogue and respecting the agreements reached to date, seeks to further endanger the survival of the Serbs and their right to life, freedom of movement, healthcare, and education. Healthcare and education constitute the backbone of the survival of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and lie at the very core of the Community of Serb Municipalities, and they must remain so,” the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija emphasized.

Petkovic also stressed that since the beginning of the year there has been an increased number of ethnically motivated incidents originating from Pristina, which, as he noted, is doing everything possible to create untenable living conditions for the Serbs in Kosovo.

Therefore, Petkovic underlined, it is imperative to urgently proceed with the formation of the CSM, and Belgrade expects the European Union to take concrete steps in that direction.