Petkovic: With the new expropriation law, Pristina wants to legalize the seizure of Serbian land

The director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, assessed that the authorities in Pristina, led by Albin Kurti, initiated the procedure of passing a new law on expropriation with the aim of causing new destabilization on the ground.

Petkovic stated in a statement that with this law, Pristina wants to legalize the seizure of Serbian land in northern Kosovo and to build their so-called military and police bases on it.

"With the new law prepared by Pristina, literally any Serbian facility or country that Kurti points his finger at, the authorities in Pristina can declare 'public interest' and build illegal police and military bases for their special units in that place," Petkovic pointed out in a statement.

The Director of the Government's Office says that this is specifically indicated by Article 7, paragraph 2.3.14, which reads:

"Legitimate public interest refers to facilities, training grounds, barracks, and telecommunication lines for the military, police, and other state and national security authorities, including the security areas around them."

There is no doubt, he adds, that this is a new attempt to seize Serbian land, which Pristina is trying to legalize according to its own laws for the sake of the occupation's interests.

He emphasizes that Pristina's clear intention is to use this legal violence to deal brutally with the Serbian people, who have calmly but decisively said no to the occupation and expropriation.

"Pristina hired the so-called Ministry of the Environment, Spatial Planning, and Infrastructure to secretly draft a new law on expropriation. What is particularly indicative is that an allegedly public hearing was held for that document, which was carried out via email, away from the public eye, and the deadline for submission of comments on the proposed document expires today," Petkovic said.

According to his words, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, together with its representatives on the ground, legal teams, and the non-governmental sector, will continue the legal fight for the protection of the Serbian people's interests and properties in the province and will address all international missions and the European Union to prevent legal usurpation.