Petkovic: Persecution of Serbs in Kosovo of unprecedented proportions, Kurti only interested in "Greater Albania"

Petar Petkovic, the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, stated that Albin Kurti demonstrates with every action that he has no interest in dialogue, the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM), or the survival of the Serbian people. Instead, his focus is on an ethnically pure Kosovo and the creation of "Greater Albania". Petkovic emphasized the importance of the Serb List securing all 10 seats allocated to the Serbian community in the upcoming elections for the survival of Serbs in Kosovo.

Speaking to Newsmax, Petkovic highlighted that since Albin Kurti's rise to power, there has been an ongoing persecution of the Serbian people in Kosovo, a persecution of unprecedented proportions.

"Just a few days ago, we all witnessed another escalatory move by Kurti when he closed over 35 Serbian temporary government institutions in the south - social work centers, post offices. He did this on the day I and my team were in Brussels to discuss the missing persons. It’s not the first time Kurti has caused unrest either just before or on the day of the dialogue, showing that he has no interest in dialogue, the CSM, or the survival of the Serbian people," Petkovic pointed out.

What interests Kurti, and is part of the Self-Determination party's policy, is an ethnically pure Kosovo and the creation of "Greater Albania," Petkovic is convinced.

"Kurti demonstrates this with all his policies and actions on the ground," the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija underscored.

He noted that the north of Kosovo has become "a stage for the Kosovo Police, Kurti's police," which, he reports, harasses the Serbian people at every step to such an extent that there are almost daily reports of sexual abuse, as the police behave very inappropriately towards women of Serbian nationality.

"It is clear that Kurti wants to expel the Serbian people from Kosovo and Metohija. In the last year and a half, about 20 percent of the Serbs from the north have left their ancestral homes with their families," Petkovic indicated.

He observes that every time there is an attack on the Serbian people, Serbia expects a reaction from the international community, but then, sometimes with a delay, statements from the Quint countries and the EU arrive, in which they verbally condemn, sometimes weakly, everything Kurti does.

And that's where it all ends, Petkovic concludes, adding that if after every Kurti's move there comes only one statement without any further action - it raises the question of whether such a reaction from the West was just "wind in the sails" for Kurti to continue with new actions.

He also pointed out that since June 3 of the year before last, when the EU explicitly requested a de-escalation of the situation in the north, asking Kurti to withdraw the Kosovo Police from the north and urgently start forming the CSM, to date – more than 80 new escalatory moves and over 570 incidents and attacks by Kurti's regime on Serbs have been recorded.

"Now, after the unlawful closure of 35 Serbian institutions south of Ibar, we had a reaction from both the US and the EU. When we talk about the EU, there was no longer that infamous irritating formulation of blaming both sides, but very clearly and precisely stated that Kurti was responsible for such actions and that he should not have done it. They clearly conditioned that if he continues to behave like this, there will be nothing from the Growth Plan and financial resources intended for Pristina," Petkovic said.

He emphasizes that the official stance of Brussels and the Quint is that Kurti has no right to touch Serbian institutions in Kosovo, as this issue must be resolved in dialogue because the formation of the CSM implies the existence of all these institutions, as the basic infrastructure and architecture needed to form the Community.

"The idea is for there to be no Serbs, no Serbian institutions. Then Kurti simply achieves what he has always wanted - no Serbs, no problems. No conditions for forming the CSM. And, if there is no CSM, there will be no future for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," Petkovic explained.

He recalls that Kurti's supporters actively lobbied for the Democratic candidate in the US, as both Kurti and Vjosa Osmani publicly supported Kamala Harris.

"Now, as things have gone in another direction, Kurti seems to be using the period of vacuum, until the new American administration and the new European Commission start working, and tries to change things in his favor, so that later from those positions he might try to talk," said the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

However, he notes that Serbia has hope from the moment Donald Trump won the elections in the US, adding that Trump received the greatest support among European peoples and states in Serbia and the Serbian people.

He added that especially Serbs in Kosovo have high expectations from the change in the American administration, acknowledging, however, that the foreign policy of great powers is hard to change.

"We have no great illusions about what the stance of the new administration will be regarding Kosovo and Metohija. For them, unfortunately, Kosovo is independent, they have recognized it, and they will not deviate from that. But, when someone wants to listen to you, in this case, Belgrade, to hear what we have to say, to hear the suffering people in Kosovo and Metohija, and then to say that it's finally time to start fulfilling what was signed 12 years ago," Petkovic said.

Given that in the West "contracts are sacred," Serbia expects much greater understanding, as during the first Trump administration, when, Petkovic recalls, the Washington Agreement was signed, which remained "dead letter on paper" because of Kurti.

Asked what the year 2025 will look like, he responded that he expects it to be just as difficult as the previous year.

"We are all in the struggle to preserve peace and stability, for the survival of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija. We are used to bad news almost every day. We are doing everything to preserve our people in almost impossible conditions. President Aleksandar Vucic leads this effort, who will never give up on Kosovo and Metohija, and the people know this. Hence the tremendous support from Kosovo and Metohija," Petkovic said, noting that the budget of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija for this year is the largest so far, which also speaks to Serbia's commitment to the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija.

He also spoke about assisting the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, especially helping about 5,000 of the most socially vulnerable, who will receive 20,000 dinars from the state of Serbia.

He announced that Serbia will continue to help Serbs in Kosovo after this first phase.

Asked whether he expects the dialogue to proceed more smoothly with the successor of Miroslav Lajcak, he answered that it depends not only on the mediator in the dialogue, but primarily on the good will of Pristina.

He recalls that Besnik Bislimi has refused to negotiate many times.

"With them, there is almost no conversation. When they go to Brussels, they exclusively mention the recognition of independence they will never receive because Serbia, led by President Vucic, will never agree to that. But, to negotiate, to solve problems, to fulfill agreements, as they were signed 12 years ago, about the CSM and all subsequent ones, we are ready," Petkovic is clear.

Serbia is aware that compromise implies the necessity to "meet halfway," which means that both Belgrade and Pristina need to give in.

"But, for someone to come and act from a position of ultimatums, that does not work with us," Petkovic underscored.

On the observation that Pristina has been obstructing the construction of a hospital in Gracanica for three years, Petkovic noted that this is not the only project being obstructed, as they have prevented Serbian families from moving into 107 apartments in Zubin Potok in the last month.

"Yellow tape is also over the building of the University, the Rectorate in Kosovska Mitrovica. There are administrative obstructions regarding the construction of the hospital in Gracanica because Pristina will not provide the necessary documentation to continue the process, even though the money has been transferred and everything is secured. I cannot even talk about many projects because in Pristina they are waiting to hear what we will say, to stop them on the ground and intimidate the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," Petkovic emphasized.

Nevertheless, he expects better times that will enable the survival of Serbs in Kosovo.

Regarding the investigation into the explosion at the Ibar-Lepenac canal, he states that "there is nothing to it," as it clearly was not in the interest of Serbia or the Serbian people, although Kurti accuses Serbia of the incident.

"There’s nothing to it; they have no evidence. They are holding two of the 12 Serbs they arrested and kept in custody. They retained two and are trying to find some evidence against them. It’s like with other Serbs detained for alleged war crimes, bringing in unreliable witnesses who don't even know the people they are accusing...," Petkovic, the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, pointed out.

He reports that to this day, there's no explanation how Pristina, just nine minutes after the canal explosion, requested the deployment of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) in the north, where they have no right to be.

"They said they had to do it to protect critical infrastructure in Zubin Potok. Then the KFOR commander said, ‘Give us a list of this critical infrastructure, and we will protect it.’ To this day, such a list has not been provided," Petkovic highlighted.

He reiterated that in conversations with the leadership of the Serb List and institutional representatives of Serbs from Kosovo, he conveyed a reassuring message from President Vucic that although Kurti has taken away their right to work, they will continue to receive their salaries regularly from Serbia.

Petkovic pointed out that the Serb List faces enormous and daunting challenges ahead of the elections, as Kurti, he says, sets obstacles to potentially "push through" Nenad Rasic, who is trying to win at least one mandate, in order to try to form a government that will enact laws contrary to Serbian interests or attempt to create an atmosphere for a referendum on joining Albania.

Therefore, it is crucial that all 10 seats in the parliament, designated for the Serbian community, are won by the Serb List, Petkovic stressed.

"Rasic is not the first nor the last Serb who acts against Serbia, in the interest of Pristina, unfortunately. Luckily, there are not many like him. Rasic did not oppose Pristina's decision to establish a museum of the so-called genocide of Serbia in Kosovo. He is there to finish the job for Kurti. A vote for Rasic is a vote for Kurti. A vote for the Serb List is a vote for the survival of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija," Petkovic concluded.