Petkovic: Vucic asked the Serbs to withdraw from the barricades

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, pointed out that it was good news that the most powerful powers in the West, the USA and the EU, in almost impossible conditions, guaranteed the fulfillment of the demands of the Serbs from Kosovo and added that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, asked the Serbs to remove the barricades.

"Our struggle to get strong guarantees from the USA and the EU, and we are talking about more significant factors that can exert pressure that must be respected. Guarantees are given by the most powerful powers in the West. That is what is important and the good news. In almost impossible conditions when we were on the verge of conflict, we received guarantees, which are the strongest we have had so far when it comes to the statements that have come from the USA and the EU so far," said Petkovic.

According to him, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, has fought hard in recent days for every word and letter, in order to reach an agreement and preserve peace and people's lives.

"Yesterday in Raska, during difficult talks with our people, Vucic heard on several occasions with the representatives of the USA and the EU and fought for every letter and word, and he did not give in at any moment to fulfill the demands of the Serbs because they do not want to suffer the cruelty of Albin Kurti ", explained Petkovic.

Petkovic pointed out that a joint statement from the US and the EU was received, which clearly fulfilled the second request of the Serbs, which was to confirm that there were no lists for the arrest or prosecution of Serbian citizens from Kosovo for participating in peaceful protests and at the barricades.

Vucic, he underlined, fought for the barricades to be part of that statement.

"We know very well what the Serbs' fears are, that they don't trust Kurti and what he is ready for when it comes to dealing with the Serbs just because they were at peaceful protests and barricades. With this statement, I can confirm that our people are protected, because they do not have stronger guarantees and the recognition of the USA and the EU that there are no arrest lists and that the Serbs who are at the barricades will not be pursued and persecuted, both these and those in July and September", he emphasized.

Petkovic pointed out that this was a great victory for the Serbian people in Kosovo.

He added that the third element of the Kosovo Serbs' demands included the guarantees received from KFOR.

"It is clearly stated and confirmed in the KFOR statement that the Kosovo Security Forces cannot go to the north of Kosovo without the prior double consent of the KFOR commander and four representatives of local communities from the north of Kosovo. That statement is important because it becomes a source of formal and substantive law. It becomes a kind of agreement. Until now, we had this type of guarantee that existed only in the relationship between Pristina and NATO. There was an agreement between Pristina and the NATO Secretary General from 2013, and now we have an answer that includes our side, Belgrade and the Serbian people," said Petkovic.

Petkovic pointed out that this clearly indicated the necessary respect for all agreements and agreements, especially Item 9 of the Brussels Agreement, which concerns the competence of the Kosovo Police in the north of Kosovo.

He announced that Serbia would advocate for the formation of the CSM, which the Serbs had been waiting for ten years.

"After these official statements, President Vucic had a serious conversation with the Serbs from the north of Kosovo for more than two hours. He presented them with the contents of the documents and statements, pointed out everything that we gain from this and asked the Serbs to withdraw from the barricades. The Serbs listened to Vucic and said that they only trust him, that they have only one country, which is Serbia, and that the only guarantees they accept are those they will receive from the President of Serbia. They asked to return to Kosovo and Metohija to talk with the other Serbs at the barricades, to present to them the contents of the statements and conversations, and after that they will head towards central Serbia where they will meet with President Vucic after 7p.m.,"  Petkovic explained.

After that, he says, we will see the decision of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija when it comes to withdrawing from the barricades.

"In an almost impossible situation, on the edge of a pin that represented our room for maneuver, we managed to win these guarantees," he added.