Petkovic: Pristina's decision to ban dinar aimed at ethnic cleansing of Serbs

BELGRADE - The director of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic met with Italian Ambassador to Belgrade Luca Gori on Friday, noting that it was clear Pristina's decision to abolish the Serbian dinar as the legal tender in Kosovo-Metohija was aimed at ethnic cleansing of Serbs.

Petkovic said Pristina's termination of payment transactions with central Serbia and the abolition of the dinar, announced for February 1, were an attempt to completely and definitely exclude Belgrade from the territory of Kosovo-Metohija and expel the Serbs from their ancestral homes in the Serbian province, the Office for Kosovo-Metohija said in a statement.

Petkovic noted that a ban on the dinar would lead to a humanitarian disaster because Serbs and Serbian institutions in Kosovo-Metohija operated thanks to funds coming from central Serbia.

"It is completely clear that the decision by the Pristina regime is aimed at ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Kosovo-Metohija," he added.

He said the decision was the grossest possible obstruction of dialogue and a denial of the process of forming a Community of Serb Municipalities as, under signed agreements, financial support to the Serbs was envisioned as part of powers given to the Community.

Petkovic and Gori also discussed petitions for a dismissal of false and illegitimate mayors and assembly members in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo-Metohija.

"The fact the number of signatures collected is higher than planned - more than 20 per cent of the total number of registered voters - unequivocally demonstrates that the will of the Serbs is that the false mayors leave the posts as soon as possible and resign rather than obstruct this process on a daily basis," he said.