Petkovic: Rasic speaks nonsense and does stupid things; benumbs public opinion

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, assessed that the latest statement by the Minister of Communities and Returns to the Kosovo Government, Nenad Rasic, best spoke of the nervousness that was felt in Pristina after the talks in Ohrid.

"The degree of Albin Kurti's nervousness after the talks in Ohrid is clearly indicated by the fact that he has to call his “private” Serb, Nenad Rasic, for help every day, in order to spill nonsense and benumb public opinion. Kurti's irrational fear of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities is dispelled by him and his superiors with meaningless claims about "de facto recognition" by Serbia, and this is obviously the lifeline they are grasping for in an effort to slow down the decline of their political careers," Petkovic said in a press release.

Petkovic added that Belgrade had clearly presented its red lines to the Pristina negotiators and international mediators.

“Which essentially leaves the issue of Belgrade's attitude towards the unilaterally declared independence of 'Kosovo' out of the equation on the normalization of relations," Petkovic said.

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija added that Belgrade was ready to continue to work sincerely in a civilized dialogue on the normalization of relations with Pristina.

"Strengthening economic ties, making life easier for people living in Kosovo and Metohija, however, there are clear limits to our constructiveness and goodwill, and they are clearly defined. Belgrade will not agree to the membership of the so-called 'Kosovo' in the United Nations, nor will it accept unilaterally declared independence of the southern Serbian provinces, and the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities must be formed in the manner defined in the dialogue so far - and this has been made clear to everyone," Petkovic pointed out.

He added that the question was why the normalization of relations was not enough for Kurti and Rasic.

"And why they constantly have to insist on a topic that irreconcilably divides us, instead of things that should help rebuild the broken bridges between the Serbs and Albanians. The answer could be that they are not interested in the normalization of relations, and that they have never been fundamentally interested, they are only interested in humiliating Serbia and the Serbs, which President Aleksandar Vucic will never allow, neither for Pristina nor for those who try to weaken Serbia on the subject of Kosovo and Metohija. Why Rasic agreed to participate in that game, against his own people, is a question to which one day we will have an answer, and in the meantime, unfortunately, we will continue to witness the foolishness that Rasic does and says," Petkovic concluded.