Petkovic: What's the point of dialogue if Pristina refuses to discuss issues important to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija?

After the latest round of dialogue in Brussels, where Kosovo's chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi refused to participate in the trilateral meeting, Petar Petkovic, Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, stated that Belgrade is always ready for discussions and finding a compromise solution. However, the dialogue process loses its purpose if Pristina refuses to address issues that are important for protecting the rights of Serbs in Kosovo.

Petkovic emphasized that during his meeting with the EU's special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, he discussed the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM) and other key topics such as the full implementation of all agreements reached, the Ibar Bridge, postal services, energy, telecommunications, missing persons, and integrated border management.

"Many topics were on the negotiating table. As Belgrade's chief negotiator, the first thing I did was present the Serbian government's measures, which President Aleksandar Vucic had also spoken about at the press conference. These are comprehensive measures to protect the Serbian people in Kosovo and measures to revive the dialogue process, which we desperately need, because we are absolutely convinced that only through dialogue can we find a compromise solution for the Kosovo issue," Petkovic said.

He noted that a trilateral meeting with the Pristina delegation did not take place because Kosovo’s negotiator, Besnik Bislimi, refused to meet with representatives from Belgrade.

Bislimi, he explained, declined to participate in the trilateral meeting because the Belgrade delegation insisted on discussing topics such as the CSM, postal services, and the implementation of the agreement on the bridge.

"Belgrade has never had a problem with direct meetings with the Pristina side, and they are fully in a position to bring up whatever topics they want during a trilateral meeting. But that same right must also be given to Belgrade—in fact, they don’t have to grant Belgrade that right, it is already our right, and we insist on it. For us, direct meetings and talks with the Pristina side, or with Mr. Bislimi, are not a problem, nor will they ever be. I am always ready to talk, just as President Aleksandar Vucic was last time, ready to sit and talk with Mr. Kurti, but Kurti refused," Petkovic reminded.

He stressed that Belgrade insists on discussing topics that are in the interest of the Serbian people in Kosovo and raised the question of what the point of the meetings in Brussels is if Pristina does not want to discuss these topics.

"What kind of normalization are we talking about if you can’t address the key issue—the formation of the CSM? If there is no CSM, then what does the normalization process even refer to? These are critical issues that directly impact how Serbs live in Kosovo today," Petkovic stated.

He added that he handed Lajcak a list of all detained Serbs, most of whom are political prisoners still in custody despite EU and U.S. guarantees that no one who protested at the barricades would be arrested.

Petkovic reiterated that the Serbian side will always be ready to negotiate in Brussels to find compromise solutions.

"Our policy is one of peace and stability. That is why we have proposed a set of measures aimed at reviving the dialogue process. You see, if our trip to Brussels only results in talks with Mr. Lajcak, then what is the point of the dialogue? The essence is that what has been agreed upon must be implemented and realized on the ground so that improvement can be seen in Serbian communities. The Serbs living in Kosovo and Metohija need to have reasons to believe in a better future, not to leave—especially the north, which is being turned into a kind of police testing ground where Kurti terrorizes the Serbian people daily and makes moves that are contrary to agreements, accords, and international principles," Petkovic concluded.

Regarding the Ibar Bridge, Petkovic emphasized that Serbia wants to address this issue through the lens of security.

"We have prepared a special presentation on all the dangers that would arise if Kurti proceeded with the unilateral opening of the bridge. That is impossible because NATO is present on the bridge itself, and that’s why it’s important to discuss this with them. Besides the legal aspect, we insist on defining the Suvi Do area as a prerequisite for opening the bridge," Petkovic stated.

He stressed that it's crucial to discuss these issues in Brussels, including with NATO representatives, to highlight everything Kurti is doing in Kosovo—violating human rights and agreements.

He reminded that since 1999, there have been over 200 severe, ethnically motivated incidents on the Ibar Bridge.

"That’s why it’s important that NATO understands the issue of opening the bridge well and that they’ve conveyed to us that there is no time limit for opening the bridge. Without that pressure, we can discuss this matter in the context of implementing agreements. That’s why it’s essential for this issue to remain part of the dialogue," Petkovic concluded.