Petkovic meets with German ambassador

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic met with German Ambassador to Belgrade Anke Konrad on Friday to inform her of the position of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija and noted that, through a series of unilateral moves, Pristina was continuously threatening stability on the ground and the fundamental human rights of Serbs in the province.

Petkovic noted that Belgrade and Kosovo-Metohija Serbs were very concerned over Pristina's announcement it would stop payment transactions with central Serbia on February 1.

Without financial support from Belgrade, Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija cannot survive, and Pristina PM Albin Kurti's intent to expel all Serbs from their ancestral homes in the province has now been laid bare, a statement released by the Office for Kosovo-Metohija quoted Petkovic as saying.

He said the decision to stop payment transactions was one of Kurti's gravest to date and aimed at causing an exodus of Serbs, and added that Belgrade would oppose, in a firm and determined manner, the trampling underfoot of the Serbs' human rights.

He said Pristina and its local authorities had obstructed the process of signing petitions for a dismissal of illegitimate and illegal mayors in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, and noted that this was another form of pressure on the Serbs that was leading towards destabilisation on the ground as well as in the region.

He said human rights violations in Kosovo-Metohija were also reflected in the fact visa liberalisation had still not been approved for Serbs in the province despite understanding shown by the European Commission.