Vucevic: Enormous pressure by Kurti on Serbs in Kosovo

Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vucevic stated today that Belgrade must not accept the narrative imposed by Pristina regarding the Banjska incident, emphasizing that while the event that occurred a year ago should not have happened, it was a reaction to the years of suffering that Serbs in Kosovo have endured. Vucevic pointed out that the number of Serbs in Kosovo is steadily decreasing due to the immense pressure from Albin Kurti, which he said will only continue.

"We must not accept the narrative that Banjska is something defined only according to how Pristina sees it. Banjska should not have happened, but it was a reaction to what has been happening in Kosovo and Metohija. Banjska didn't just occur out of nowhere—someone didn't do it out of idleness during a period of flourishing human rights in Kosovo," Vucevic said in an interview with TV Prva, noting that recent discussions have focused solely on Banjska, without addressing the daily struggles of Serbs in Kosovo.

He highlighted that Pristina is not allowing the families of the three Serbs killed in Banjska to commemorate the site.

"It's as if we're ashamed to say that three Serbs were killed there. Should we be the ones to apologize for Banjska, while they killed three Serbs? And before that, dozens of Serbs were beaten, arrested, and wounded—from the Stojanovic brothers, who were shot by a member of the Kosovo Security Force near Strpce, and who is now defending himself from freedom, to Dragiša Galjak..." the Prime Minister remarked.

He stressed that Banjska was the culmination of all the hardships Serbs have been facing, which is why Serbia continues to call for a return to dialogue and negotiation.

Vucevic urged Serbs in Kosovo to trust their country.

"We can't fully know from here how difficult it is for them, but we can understand that it's hard and ask them for patience and understanding, to trust in Serbia, stay in Kosovo and Metohija, and not be instigated or persuaded to leave their homes," Vucevic said.

He pointed out that the number of Serbs in Kosovo is shrinking because of the immense pressure from Albin Kurti.

He called it shameful that those responsible for monitoring the situation either fail to act or issue ineffective statements, allowing such treatment of an entire people in a territory with a special status due to the presence of international forces.

Vucevic also noted that Serbia is often blamed for everything that happens to Serbs.

"Apparently, Serbia is threatening someone, while there are fewer and fewer of us; we are being expelled, and campaigns are being waged against us, to the point of taking away part of our territory... We must, as a people, free ourselves from this stigma that we are always to blame for everything," Vucevic said.

Regarding the statement by Bosnia and Herzegovina's Presidency Chairman Denis Becirovic at the UN General Assembly that Serbia threatens Bosnia and Herzegovina's territorial integrity, Vucevic stressed that Serbia respects Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with the Dayton Agreement.

"We have no issue with the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We only say, as signatories of the Dayton Agreement, that any changes or restructuring of Bosnia and Herzegovina must be defined through the consensus of the two entities and the three nations. Imposing anything is a violation of the Dayton Agreement, which brought peace to Bosnia and Herzegovina," Vucevic concluded.