Petkovic: Unfounded accusations against Serbia, Pristina has not fulfilled its own guarantees to the Council of Europe

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, dismissed as unfounded and inaccurate the EU’s accusations that Belgrade violated the Ohrid Conclusions regarding Kosovo’s request to be a special guest at the Political Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He emphasized that it is Pristina that has failed to fulfill its own guarantees given to the Council of Europe last year, particularly regarding the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM).

In a statement, Petkovic stressed that Serbia, as a responsible member of the international community, respects international law, the UN Charter, UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and all other relevant international legal acts. He reaffirmed that Serbia approaches the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in good faith, in line with international agreements, and remains committed to honoring its obligations while respecting its constitutional red lines.

Petkovic reminded that Pristina has failed to establish the CSM for 12 years, despite it being a key commitment in the dialogue process.

"On the contrary, Pristina openly states that it will never establish the CSM and continues to shut down Serbian institutions that were meant to serve as the foundation for its formation. Additionally, it systematically enforces both physical and institutional violence against the Serbian population in Kosovo and Metohija, creating unbearable living conditions with the goal of their eventual expulsion," Petkovic warned.

Regarding Kosovo’s attempt to "advance its status" in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Petkovic reiterated Serbia’s well-known and principled position, emphasizing that Serbia expected Council of Europe members and PSSE representatives to uphold fundamental norms of international law and the organization’s own Statute.

He recalled that the Statute of the Council of Europe explicitly states that only states can become members.

"In this regard, even Dora Bakoyannis' report to the Council of Europe, in point 79, clearly confirms that numerous Council of Europe member states do not recognize so-called Kosovo as a state," Petkovic noted.

"It is not for us to judge the reasoning behind the PSSE delegates' recent decision not to even consider Pristina’s request for a ‘status upgrade’ in the organization. However, one thing is certain—Pristina has not even fulfilled its own written guarantees to the Council of Europe, which were signed on March 22, 2024, by Albin Kurti, Vjosa Osmani, and Glauk Konjufca," Petkovic emphasized.

He pointed out that these guarantees included de-escalating the crisis in northern Kosovo, halting actions that threaten the safety and living conditions of Serbs, ensuring the immediate return of Serbs to the police and judiciary, and urgently forming the CSM.

"In any case, it is encouraging that Council of Europe members and PSSE delegates have reaffirmed that the organization remains a place where international law, the Statute of the Council of Europe, and the fundamental values on which it is built are still respected," Petkovic concluded.