Office for Kosovo and Metohija
Government of the Republic of Serbia

No investments in Brezovica without agreement from rightful owners

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Đurić stated today that Serbia is not against investment in the tourist center Brezovica but those involved have to come to an arrangement with the actual owners of buildings and property on this mountain.

"For Serbia and the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija it is unacceptable to adopt any plan on Brezovica which would be detrimental to the existing facilities and bring about illegal and violent expropriation of land or alter ethnic, labor and other structures on our mountain," Đurić told reporters at the Palace of Serbia.

He said that “Ineks Intereksport” and PE “Skijališta Srbije” are the owners of Brezovica, and those wishing to invest in the ski center must come to an arrangement with the rightful owners as well as with the citizens of Štrpce who, he said, earn their living from the mountain and two ski resorts.

"Anyone believing that they can achieve something by making an arrangement with those who are not actual owners, should be advised that justice would be administered sooner or later", said Đurić.

He stressed the importance of avoiding unilateral approach to this issue.

"What is happening at the moment, can only be described as a kind of political and economic hunting in muddy waters," Đurić said.

He recalled that over the past few years, and especially in 2014, the Government of Serbia made significant investments in the ski resort Brezovica, re-launching the Hotel "Molika" which had not been operational since the end of the war.

"Two ski resorts we have launched along with restaurants operating within the Ski Center Brezovica have generated so much income, that 2015 was the first year that we did not need to provide budget subsidies for our people, the employees of the Inex Ski Center and the citizens of the Štrpce enclave", Đurić said.

According to him, the issue of property is among the foremost and most vital pending issues in the framework of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Over the past 15 years there were "numerous attacks" on citizens’ property, but also on the socially, state and coop-owned property.

"Status of the pending property issues is something that discourages foreign investors. I therefore think that it would also be in the interest of Priština to try and find a common language with the Government of Serbia and the Serbs living in Kosovo and Metohija in order to find a solution instead of constantly resorting to unilateral moves", Đurić said.

He added that this is a matter on which all Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and all mayors, including the mayor of Štrpce, must act in unison.

The "sanctity" of private property is observed not only in the West but in most of the other civilizations globally, Đurić said.

"Serbs and Serbia hold evidence and information concerning ownership of the bulk of the former economic system in Kosovo and Metohija, and this is something that needs to be discussed. If for decades we have invested in something that is now in Kosovo-Metohija, no one can obliterate all that happened with a stroke of a pen or rub it off with an eraser", said Đurić.

Đurić recalled that there were contacts before with the French consortium which had announced its interest in investing in our southernmost mountain, adding that, however, the sufficient assurances we requested in order to pledge our support have not been received yet.

"Therefore, it is necessary and very important that negotiations continue in the future and that the Serbian community and all the mayors act in unison in this matter", Đurić said.