Petkovic meets with Slovenia's Western Balkans envoy

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic met with Slovenia's special Western Balkans envoy Anzej Franges in Belgrade on Monday to inform him of the political and institutional violence of the Albin Kurti-led authorities in Pristina against Serbs in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo-Metohija.

"Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija and their legitimately elected political representatives are constantly being targeted by Pristina and are being denied their fundamental political and human rights," Petkovic noted.

He said a recent decision by Pristina's central electoral commission not to approve the electoral results of Srpska lista was a testimony to this and that the electoral will of nearly 43,000 Serbs who had voted for their representatives had been disputed, and added that the move was impermissible, an official statement said.

On the other hand, Kurti wants to impose sham representatives the Serbs did not vote for, Petkovic said, noting that the representatives Kurti was trying to impose on the Serbs were working for Pristina.

"That just shows Kurti is ready to violate his own regulations just to harm the Serbs," Petkovic said.

He noted that Pristina's so-called laws on foreigners and vehicles were aimed at creating impossible living conditions for the Serbs, at illegally taking away Serbian health care and educational institutions - which he said were the backbone of the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities - as well as at expelling the Serbs from their ancestral homes, rather than at respecting signed agreements.

That is why a clear and unequivocal engagement by the international community is also required to solve these issues, he added.

"As part of the Brussels dialogue, Belgrade is insisting, in a strong and persevering manner, on concrete steps towards the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities, for which our people have been waiting for nearly 13 years and which is also a commitment of Pristina that is guaranteed by the European Union itself. We will keep insisting on that as part of every round of the dialogue, in spite of all obstructions by Pristina, which wants to get away from its obligations," Petkovic concluded.