Petkovic with Shin: We expect the UNMIK report to present the real situation on the ground

The Director of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, met with Milbert Dongjoon Shin, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Acting Head of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), to brief him on the political and security situation in Kosovo and, as emphasized in the Office’s statement, on the unilateral and escalatory actions by Pristina aimed at expelling the Serbian people from Kosovo.

During the meeting, Petkovic thanked Shin for the important engagement of the UNMIK Mission, highlighting its significance for the Serbian people in Kosovo and the importance of respecting UN Security Council Resolution 1244. He also expressed his expectation that the Mission’s semi-annual report, to be presented at the upcoming UN Security Council session, will accurately reflect the situation on the ground and document numerous examples of human rights violations against Serbs in Kosovo.

He conveyed that the Serbian people in Kosovo appreciate UNMIK’s efforts and expect even stronger engagement and support in addressing the challenges they face daily.

“Pristina’s terror has intensified in the run-up to the local elections in Kosovo and Metohija, scheduled for October 12, as Albin Kurti seeks to intimidate the Serbian people through repression, heightening tensions, and provoking crises. He is using various mechanisms to obstruct the Serbs from electing their legitimate representatives and from preserving and regaining control over Serb-majority municipalities. In this context, Petkovic stressed, it is important that UNMIK does everything in its power to protect the electoral will of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija,” the statement read.

The statement further added that Petkovic emphasized that the Serbs in Kosovo face violations of their most basic human rights.

“Pristina is even violating its own regulations in order to adopt and implement decisions aimed at the complete disenfranchisement of our people. Since Kurti came to power, there have been nearly 700 ethnically motivated incidents,” Petkovic warned. He noted that this is evident in the closure of numerous institutions providing essential services to the Serbian population, especially the socially vulnerable and elderly, as well as in arbitrary arrests, the persecution of Serbian symbols in Kosovo, and both institutional and physical violence.

Petkovic concluded by saying that Pristina has no interest in peace, normalization of relations, or coexistence, but despite numerous obstructions, Belgrade remains committed to dialogue as the only framework for resolving all problems on the ground.