Petkovic: Pristina rejected all six proposals for resolving the dinar Issue

Petar Petkovic, Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, stated today, after several hours of discussions about the dinar in Brussels, that Pristina has again rejected all proposals, even offering less in dialogue than their own regulations in Kosovo allow. Serbia, he emphasized, will not give up on finding a solution for the dinar and on fighting for the Serbs in Kosovo.

"Another long and exhausting day in Brussels, we talked for more than nine hours at the European External Action Service about the use of the dinar, specifically about the unilateral decision by Albin Kurti to abolish it, which prevented Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija from receiving their incomes. Although our side was again constructive, came out with new proposals, and showed a willingness to agree, with six new constructive proposals - Pristina rejected them all," said Petkovic.

He stated that Belgrade has not closed the door to dialogue because it wants to find a solution, without which every day is increasingly difficult for Serbs in Kosovo.

"We will stay in Brussels as long as necessary, come as many times as needed, we will seek a solution," stressed Petkovic.

He also conveyed that Miroslav Lajcak considered three issues as key, and that the Serbian side is ready to agree with them to move forward, but Pristina's negotiator Besnik Bislimi dismissed these issues as – trivial.

"We offered solutions that were models we applied in previous agreements - and he refused. They reject everything, they won't agree on anything. They want to offer us less in dialogue than what their regulations allow. It is clear how far this goes," emphasized Petkovic.

According to him, when Lajcak is asked how then to continue discussions when Pristina accepts nothing – he just shrugs.

"We will see how things develop. We will not give up, we will not be the side that closes the door, we will fight for our people in Kosovo and Metohija, for every person in Kosovo and Metohija, to receive salaries, pensions, social benefits. We will fight for our interests, to secure a safe future for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. What Pristina will do and how it will behave - we will see," said Petkovic.

He added that they will fight to find a solution for the dinar, which should help the Serbian people in Kosovo, which is not contrary to national interests, but also allows for compromise.

"We try to use the dialogue, to talk, to secure the survival of Serbs in Kosovo, unlike Kurti who tries to expel Serbs," Petkovic stated.

He also mentioned that the Belgrade delegation expressed a strong protest because of Pristina's ban on the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Porfirije, from going to the Pec Patriarchate, his home, where the Assembly of the SOC was supposed to convene.

"We clearly pointed out that it is a violation not only of the agreement on official visits but also an infringement of human and religious rights in Kosovo," underlined the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

He pointed out to Lajcak the ban on staging the play "The Book of Milutin," the ban on actor Nenad Jezdic from coming and performing this monodrama, and what Pristina does to journalists in Kosovo regarding the newspaper "Jedinstvo."

"This is the second time they are being driven out; the first time they were expelled in 1999 from Pristina, and now they are trying to kick them out of their premises in North Kosovska Mitrovica," reminded Petkovic.

Also, he noted that, as every previous time, the key topic was the Community of Serbian Municipalities, on which Belgrade insists persistently.

"The Community of Serbian Municipalities, which must be established, is the question above all questions, because it means the survival of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. We also talked about how Pristina has been holding an embargo on Serbian goods for 10 months and violating all the most basic European values," said Petkovic.

He added that he expects a call from Miroslav Lajcak to continue the negotiations.

"When – that is for him to determine, and we will prepare additional comments and do our task, as every time before," concluded Petkovic.