Petkovic banned from entering Kosovo-Metohija

BELGRADE - The Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija said on Friday the Albin Kurti-led authorities in Pristina had banned its Director Petar Petkovic from entering Kosovo-Metohija to spend the Orthodox Easter holidays with Serbs in the province.

Petkovic was to attend a midnight Easter liturgy at the Visoki Decani monastery and morning service at the Gracanica monastery and then meet with a group of Serb children at the Draganac monastery.

Even though the visit was entirely non-political and religious in nature and made up exclusively of visits to Serbian Orthodox Church monasteries and holy sites, the Pristina authorities have banned the visit without no explanation whatsoever, the Office said in a statement.

"For over a year now, Kurti has been banning Director Petkovic from visiting Kosovo-Metohija and being with his people, and the bans are not only completely groundless but also represent a direct breach of the agreement on freedom of movement and official visits," the statement said, noting that Petkovic was also Belgrade's chief negotiator in the Brussels dialogue with Pristina.

The Office for Kosovo-Metohija added that Belgrade's liaison officer had announced Petkovic's visit in a timely manner and in line with all agreements in place but that Pristina continued to breach agreements unilaterally and annul all the results of the Brussels dialogue.