Petkovic with the Swiss Ambassador: Pristina tramples on the basic human rights of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, met today with the Swiss Ambassador to Serbia, Anne Lugon Moulin, and informed her about Pristina’s unilateral and unlawful decisions, particularly the shutting down of Serbian institutions, as well as the recent visit to the United Nations headquarters in Geneva.

Petkovic emphasized that during the high-level segment of the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Serbia had held a series of important meetings to highlight, as he described, the systematic disenfranchisement of the Serbian people and the physical and institutional terror they are subjected to.

"This format was an important platform for the personal testimonies of the victims of Albin Kurti's terror to be heard," Petkovic stated.

He stressed that Pristina is systematically violating the basic human rights of the Serbian people in Kosovo on a daily basis and at all levels. This is evident in the recent closure of social work centers in the north, which directly impacts the most vulnerable segments of the population.

In this regard, Petkovic reminded that, within a short period, Pristina unilaterally and forcibly shut down temporary Serbian municipal authorities, the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (PIO), post offices, branches of the "Postal Savings" bank, and abolished the use of the Serbian dinar.

"These institutions are essential for the survival of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, as they provide a minimum level of public services and livelihood, from social benefits to salaries and pensions," Petkovic stressed.

By closing them, the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija warned, Pristina’s regime is doing everything possible to expel the Serbian people from Kosovo and permanently alter its ethnic composition.

Furthermore, Petkovic pointed out that these institutions form the foundation for establishing the Community of Serb Municipalities, which Serbs have been waiting for nearly 12 years. Their closure, he noted, demonstrates that Kurti has no intention of implementing the Brussels Agreement, which Pristina signed and the EU guaranteed.

Petkovic also informed Ambassador Moulin about the recently held parliamentary elections in Kosovo, highlighting that vote counting has been ongoing for almost a month. He accused Pristina of "blatantly attempting to falsify election results and disregard the will of the Serbian people."

The director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija expressed concern that Pristina’s unilateral actions, violence, terror, and daily disenfranchisement of Serbs at all levels are leading to instability, undermining peace in Kosovo, and threatening to render the dialogue process and all agreements reached so far meaningless.

"Despite everything, Belgrade will remain committed to dialogue as the only means of peacefully resolving all outstanding issues and creating conditions for lasting stability in the Western Balkans," Petkovic concluded.