Serbs from Kosovo attend rally in Belgrade; Petkovic: A strong Serbia means a more secure future for the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija

Several thousand Serbs from Serbian communities across Kosovo gathered in Belgrade today to attend the “Serbia, One Family” rally, held in front of the National Assembly building on the eve of Vidovdan. They were joined by representatives of the Serbian List, as well as officials from the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, led by its Director, Petar Petkovic, who stated that a strong Serbia means a more secure future for the Serbian people in Kosovo.

The gathering was attended by Serbs from Gracanica and the surrounding areas, the Kosovo Pomoravlje region, Strpce, the four municipalities in northern Kosovo, as well as other Serbian communities, who said they had come to express support for Serbia’s development policies and for Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Also attending the rally were around 350 Serbs who yesterday stayed in Oplanic, near Kraljevo, where they welcomed President Vucic.

At the head of the procession, participants carried a banner reading “When Serbia Wins, Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija Have a Future,” accompanied by drummers from the Kosovo Pomoravlje region, Serbian tricolor flags, and banners bearing the names of the places they had come from.

The gathering began in New Belgrade, from where participants marched across Branko’s Bridge toward the plateau in front of the National Assembly building.

“More than 5,000 Serbs, our brothers and sisters from Kosovo and Metohija—from central Kosovo, the Pomoravlje region, the Sirinicka Zupa area, Metohija, and the four municipalities in the north—are in Belgrade today to support President Aleksandar Vucic and his policies. We are all here together to take part in the ‘Serbia, One Family’ rally, because when we are one family—and no one understands and feels this better than the Serbs of Kosovo and Metohija—we are stronger and better able to endure and remain in these difficult times, especially in our Kosovo and Metohija,” Petkovic said.

He added that everyone had gathered to support a policy focused on the future.

“It is a policy of preserving Kosovo and Metohija, safeguarding the Constitution and our institutions, and advancing the country's development. It means moving toward the development of robotics and artificial intelligence, which in turn propels our economy forward. It means continuing to build roads and railways, increasing salaries and pensions, and, most importantly, continuing to increase the budget of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija. This year's budget is the largest in its history, which means greater financial support and benefits for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. A stronger Serbia also means a more secure future for the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija,” Petkovic said.

He added that for the past 18 months citizens had witnessed what he described as “the brutal terror and violence of the blockaders, who sought to bring down the state through hatred, lies, and divisions.”

“Just look at what Albin Kurti is doing. Whenever he does something that serves the interests of Pristina, it is automatically against the interests of the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian people. When Kurti supports the blockaders, it is clear that this is directly against Serbia’s interests. After 18 months, their idea of a color revolution has failed. Decent Serbia has prevailed—people who want to work, create, and, together with President Vucic, build a better and more peaceful future, above all in Kosovo and Metohija,” Petkovic said.

According to him, all the messages conveyed at the rally are important for Serbs in Kosovo, but above all the message about survival and remaining on their ancestral lands.

“We must preserve our education system, healthcare, and our University; care for every individual; safeguard our Serbian Orthodox Church, our churches and monasteries; and continue to support our young people. All of these are important messages, but alongside them, Serbia’s development policy is what gives strength to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. A strong Serbia means a more secure future for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija,” Petkovic concluded.