Simic: A catastrophic scenario for the Serbian people avoided

Igor Simic, a member of the Presidency of the Serb List, emphasized that yesterday’s solution regarding the implementation of the Law on Foreigners prevented a catastrophic scenario for the Serbs in Kosovo.

“We have removed a major threat to the survival and continued existence of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija. Had we found ourselves in a situation where the Law was implemented in the manner Pristina intended before the agreement and solution were reached, it would have meant that thousands of Serbs on March 15, simply because they do not possess Kosovo documents—which the Kosovo authorities refuse to issue to them—would have had to remain at administrative crossings, and the healthcare and education sectors would have been paralyzed,” Simic explained to RTS.

He recalled that a large number of professors do not possess Kosovo documents, and that many of them are displaced persons from Pristina, which prevents them from obtaining such documents.

He also stated that a large number of professionals come from clinical hospital centers in cities in central Serbia to Kosovo in order to provide services to Serbian citizens, and that they would have been prevented from doing so because they would have been required to register, which would not have been possible since Pristina does not recognize the Serbian healthcare system.

“People would have remained in central Serbia even though they have no property there, simply because they were born in Serbia and because they were displaced and expelled. This issue endangered more than 10,000 people in Kosovo and Metohija—nearly 10 percent of the total population—and it would also have jeopardized the functioning of healthcare and educational institutions. We have avoided a catastrophic scenario for our people,” Simic said.

He further clarified that part of the solution refers to Serbs living in Kosovo, who will be enabled to obtain Kosovo documents through simplified procedures on the basis of identity cards or birth registry extracts. Another part concerns those who come to work—primarily in educational and healthcare institutions—as well as students, who will be allowed to obtain 12-month permits based on lists to be compiled by Serbian institutions.

For example, the rector of the University will compile a list of employees, which will be forwarded to Serbian mayors, who will then enable those individuals to obtain the right to reside in Kosovo.

“These 12-month permits will be renewable. The same applies to students, one third of whom come from central Serbia, Montenegro and the Republic of Srpska. They are important not only because they are part of us who live here, but also because they spend money here, thereby supporting small businesses and making this city truly a city,” Simic noted.

Responding to claims in part of the public that these solutions represent “integration” into the Kosovo system, Simic said that those who view the matter in that way are either irresponsible, approaching the issue unseriously, or simply do not care about what the Serbs are facing, nor about what Peter Sorensen has said.

“There is no talk whatsoever of integrating healthcare and education in the way Albin Kurti wanted, nor as some pseudo-analysts proposed, offering solutions within the framework of the Martti Ahtisaari plan and everything that would go in Kurti’s favor. As of March 15, all our children will continue attending schools under the Serbian curriculum, students will normally come to their faculties, study and take exams before their professors, just as they did until Friday when they went home. The same applies to the healthcare system: all scheduled operations will be performed by specialists who will normally come, do their job, and assist patients as before. Anyone attempting to twist these clear facts aims to mislead citizens and gain cheap political points,” Simic underlined.

He also noted that there had been a request for the EU to monitor the implementation of the agreement in order to prevent any surprises.

“The Serb List will certainly do so on the ground as well, in cooperation with citizens, precisely as their protection, so that they can live normally in Kosovo and Metohija,” Simic stated.

He stressed that with these solutions Pristina did not make any concession, nor is this a gift, but rather the result of intensive negotiations and efforts by the state leadership of Serbia, headed by President Aleksandar Vučic, as well as all members of the Serb List, recalling that dozens of meetings had been held over the previous months to prevent persecution of Serbs and the blockage of institutions.

As he added, Sorensen also emphasized that nothing can be done hastily or outside the framework of agreements which, as Simic reminded, also foresee the formation of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (CSM) and stipulate that there can be no solutions without consultations with the Serbs.

“The situation is clear, but we reached it through hard and demanding work. No solution is ideal, but this solution under these circumstances—if implemented, and we believe it will be—will mean that tomorrow we will all breathe easier and continue living,” he said.

When it comes to the Law on Vehicles, he stated that he cannot provide more details but stressed that intensive work is underway to find a solution to the situation with motor vehicles as well.

“We have assurances that there will be no mass fines until a solution is found. We have provided constructive proposals and are deeply convinced that this will enable citizens to live normally and that we will not find ourselves in a situation where thousands of vehicles remain on the other side of the administrative line,” Simic emphasized.

Regarding Sorensen’s message that he will insist on the implementation of the agreements reached, Simic said that the Serb List has never abandoned its demand for the formation of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, as it represents the essential umbrella institution for protecting the individual and collective rights of Serbs.

“We will continue to insist on it, and we believe—as Sorensen also said—that it is high time for the CSM to be established in order to prevent the position of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija from depending on the will of those who run the institutions in Pristina. That is why we always insist on it and will not give up on the establishment of the CSM,” Simic concluded.