Petkovic, acting UNMIK head discuss political, security situation in Kosovo-Metohija

BELGRADE - The director of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic met with the acting head of the UN mission in Kosovo-Metohija (UNMIK) Milbert Dongjoon Shin in Belgrade on Wednesday to inform him of the political and security situation in the autonomous province and unilateral and escalatory moves by Pristina, which is trying to expel the Serbs from Kosovo-Metohija.

Petkovic thanked Shin for UNMIK's substantial engagement, highlighting the mission's significance for Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija, as well as the importance of respect for UNSCR 1244, and said he expected a semi-annual report by the mission, to be presented at an upcoming UNSC session, to portray the real situation on the ground and the many examples of violations of the human rights of Kosovo-Metohija Serbs, an official statement said.

He said Serbs in the southern province appreciated UNMIK's efforts and expected even stronger engagement and support from UNMIK regarding the problems they faced on a daily basis.

"Pristina's terror has especially intensified ahead of the October 12 local elections in Kosovo-Metohija because Albin Kurti wants to intimidate the Serbs through repression, escalation of tensions and sparking of crises and is obstructing the Serbs, through various mechanisms, from electing their legitimate representatives and retaining and retaking control in Serb-majority municipalities," Petkovic said, noting that it was important that UNMIK did everything in its power to defend the electoral will of the Kosovo-Metohija Serbs.

The fundamental human rights of Kosovo-Metohija Serbs are under threat, and Pristina violates even its own regulations to make and implement decisions aimed at full disenfranchisement of the Serbs, Petkovic said.

"Since Kurti's rise to power alone, there have been almost 700 ethnically motivated incidents," Petkovic warned, noting that this was reflected in closures of numerous institutions that had been providing much-needed services to the Serbs, especially to the underprivileged and the elderly population, as well as in arbitrary arrests, banishment of Serbian symbols from Kosovo-Metohija and institutional and physical violence.