Starovic: Arrest of Popovic another dangerous step in the escalating spiral of tensions

Serbia’s Minister for European Integration, Nemanja Starovic, stated that the arrest of Igor Popovic, Assistant Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, is yet another dangerous step in what he described as a “spiral of escalating tensions” being driven by the authorities in Pristina.

“Disturbing news is coming from Kosovo*, where the provisional authorities under Prime Minister Kurti have detained Igor Popovic, Deputy Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, for 30 days.

This arrest marks yet another dangerous step in the spiral of escalating tensions,” Starovic wrote on the platform X.

He recalled that Pristina has for years been unlawfully preventing Serbian officials from entering Kosovo and is now going even further by targeting and harassing officials who support the Serbian community.

“There is an urgent need for de-escalation and steps toward normalization and confidence-building, but Pristina’s provocative, unilateral actions are only pushing us further away from that goal,” Starovic emphasized.