Petkovic: Pristina does not want the CSM, and without it, there can be no normal life for Serbs in Kosovo

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, stated that during the latest round of dialogue in Brussels, Pristina had made it clear that it does not want the Community of Serb Municipalities, and without it, there can be no normal life for Serbs in Kosovo.

Speaking on RTS, Petkovic said he had asked Pristina’s chief negotiator, Besnik Bislimi, five times whether he accepted the European draft for the CSM.

“I demanded an immediate end to the persecution of the Serbian population in northern Kosovo and Metohija. The living conditions are deteriorating, and we also discussed issues of energy, telecommunications, and freedom of movement. I asked Bislimi whether he accepted the European draft for the CSM, but he remained silent. I asked him five times, to show that Bislimi is silent because they do not want to accept the CSM. Without it, there can be no normal life for Serbs in Kosovo,” Petkovic said.

With the mandate of Special Envoy Miroslav Lajcak ending in January, Petkovic expressed hope for a new appointment to the position.

“I hope we will have a new person dedicated to this role. You asked me if the dialogue has been revived. For us, it never stopped. The problem is that Pristina does not want to engage in discussions and violates the Brussels Agreement and all other agreements on the ground. They mock the international community and all participants in the dialogue. Still, I hope for better times. It is better to negotiate for a thousand days than to fight for a single day,” Petkovic emphasized.

During the dialogue, an agreement was reached to establish a commission for missing persons, which many see as progress. Petkovic described this as a final step toward concrete action.

“This is thanks to Belgrade. A year ago, we adopted a High Declaration on Missing Persons and supported the working group, which is the main mechanism for addressing this issue under the auspices of the UN and the Red Cross. So far, 1,800 missing persons have been identified, and we hope to locate another 1,500. Pristina wants to monopolize this issue, avoids it, refuses to open KLA archives, and has not initiated excavations at nine additional sites. Meanwhile, all the locations Pristina requested have been investigated. Our goal is to bring peace to the families of the missing. All these families share a single aim: to bury their loved ones with dignity and see justice served. I hope the joint commission will be established by mid-January,” Petkovic said.

Regarding the electoral campaign in Kosovo, Petkovic stressed the importance of unity among Serbs.

“Belgrade supports the Serb List. For us, their victory is a victory for the Serbian people in Kosovo. The Serb List is the only legitimate representative of Serbs in Kosovo, and it is crucial for them to win all ten mandates to block Kurti from passing certain laws. Rasic did not oppose the decision for the establishment of the Genocide Museum yesterday, which shows he acts only in his and Kurti’s interest. That is why the Serb List must win. Their victory represents resistance to everything Kurti is doing to the Serbian people. There have been 550 incidents this year, and the Serb List is standing against this, calling on all Serbs to unite, show solidarity, and support them. Belgrade will always stand by them and provide support,” Petkovic emphasized.

Petkovic highlighted the significance of President Vucic’s participation in the EU-Western Balkans Leaders’ Summit in reinforcing Serbia’s position and responding to false accusations.

“You heard the President announce that the first tranche of the Growth Plan would be disbursed soon and that Cluster 3 would open at the end of January or early February. Pristina, on the other hand, was very dissatisfied with yesterday’s meeting. Their representative attacked the EU and its members for not lifting sanctions on Kosovo. We are doing everything within our power to preserve peace and security. We continue to fight for our policy aimed at improving the living standards of all citizens,” Petkovic concluded.