Petkovic with Sørensen: Kurti resorts to moves harmful to Serbs in Kosovo ahead of every election

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic stressed today in talks with EU dialogue envoy Peter Sørensen that Serbs in Kosovo are exposed to almost daily political and institutional pressure from Pristina, warning that Albin Kurti resorts to unilateral and escalatory moves detrimental to the Serbian people ahead of every election.

Petkovic noted that Kurti’s avoidance of dialogue, regardless of whether the reason is elections or something else, clearly demonstrates that the dialogue is stagnating due to direct obstruction from Pristina, according to a statement issued by the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

“Belgrade remains committed to the normalization of relations, as well as to resolving all problems on the ground through dialogue, as the only venue for finding sustainable solutions. This is why it is important to begin taking concrete steps toward the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM), which is a guarantee of security and the collective rights of Serbs,” Petkovic stressed.

He particularly emphasized that Serbs in Kosovo face politically motivated arrests and legal proceedings on an almost daily basis, conducted without respect for fundamental human rights, accompanied by a media and political campaign from Pristina.

“The policy of Belgrade and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is to preserve peace and stability in the Western Balkans, as well as to protect the rights of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, and it will remain on that path despite Pristina’s attempts through unilateral moves and obstruction of the dialogue,” Petkovic conveyed to Sørensen.