Petkovic: Kurti's promotion of Greater Albania direct threat to peace in region

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Friday Pristina's PM Albin Kurti was openly promoting a criminal Greater Albania, and noted that this was a direct threat to peace in the Western Balkans.

"The only person dreaming of ethnically cleansed territories is Albin Kurti, for whom the so-called Greater Albania is the axis of ideology and the core of his party's political programme. Demonstrating his fascist orientation on a daily basis and terrorising the Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija, Kurti is persecuting even Serb children, women and the elderly out of a desire to expel all Serbs," Petkovic said in a statement released by the Office.

Kurti is not only promoting a Greater Albania but also interfering in electoral processes in countries in the region, generating crisis after crisis in an attempt to set the region's powder keg on fire again because it is only through conflicts that he knows how to pursue his policy, while Belgrade is pursuing a policy of peace, compromise and dialogue, Petkovic noted.

"That is why Kurti is making all the escalatory moves against Serbs in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, even ignoring calls from EU countries to urgently deescalate the situation. Instead, his terror and violence have led to almost 20 per cent of Serbs moving out of the territory of Kosovo-Metohija," Petkovic said.