Rapajic: Escobar's visit shows that the problem is in Pristina

Escobar's visit at this moment seems positive. We believe that it has initiated some things, like this decision regarding Decani, and the statements were positive and significant for Serbs at this moment because they show the international community's willingness to solve problems, not just issue statements, the program director of the organization ACDC from North Mitrovica, Aleksandar Rapajic, says.

Rapajic emphasizes that this was not Escobar's visit to Belgrade and Pristina, but only to Pristina, showing that the main problem is Pristina and that problems are being solved there.

"Returning land to the Decani Monastery is a good thing. However, the fact that after so many years the land is only now being returned and that it is not being returned to improve the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people in Kosovo but to improve Kosovo's position in relation to admission to the Council of Europe is a bad thing. Because Kosovo needs to improve the position of Serbs and develop better relations with the SOC because of Serbs, not because of admission to some international organization," he emphasizes.

He believes that the Pristina authorities use the rights of Serbs and what they should receive by law as a kind of bargaining chip for negotiations.

"They create a problem, don't want to solve it, and when they do solve it after a long time, they seek a reward for it," Rapajic says.

He considers Escobar's statement after meetings in Pristina to be very good and direct.

"He explained the problems that the Serbian community faces. I would like that decision about the dinar to be at least frozen for a certain period and that we start the process of establishing the CSM through which the problem of using and sending dinars from Serbia would be solved. However, I am afraid because the statements we receive from Pristina are that it will not happen and that the Serbian people will have problems for a longer time," Rapajic believes.