Petkovic: Latest closure of Serbian institutions shows Kurti wants no dialogue

BRUSSELS - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Wednesday the latest closure of Serbian institutions in Kosovo-Metohija by Pristina earlier in the day showed that its PM Albin Kurti wanted no dialogue, but violence and a direct crackdown on Serbs in the autonomous province.

Serbia will continue to pay all entitlements to employees of the institutions closed by Pristina, Petkovic said in Brussels, where a Belgrade-Pristina commission on missing persons was due to meet for the first time.

However, Petkovic walked out of discussions over the latest wave of Pristina's institutional violence against the Kosovo-Metohija Serbs.

He said around 35 Serbian institutions had been closed for the time being, including interim authorities, municipalities, social work centres and Post of Serbia offices.

"By today's unlawful action alone, Kurti has literally left 1,100 people without jobs," Petkovic said, noting that Kurti had denied them the right to work.