Office for Kosovo and Metohija
Government of the Republic of Serbia

Đurić: Pristina is trampling on Brussels agreement, we will not remain silent

Priština’s decision to refer the agreement on the Community of Serbian Municipalities (CSM) to the Constitutional court represents hampering, obstructing and precluding the formation of the CSM, but also means that Priština has trampled a Brussels agreement underfoot, stated Marko Đurić, Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija today.

Speaking at a press conference, Đurić underscored that this was not the only move made by Priština which represents a step in the opposite direction from normalization relations. According to Đurić, as of November 1, Priština intends to preclude the entry to Kosovo and Metohija to all vehicles with the license plates issued by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia, and replace the ID cards with “some sort of entry-exit documents”.

"All of that represents regressing not one but three steps back from the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, constituting unequivocal intention to obstruct all agreements hitherto concluded, and in my opinion should not go without a response on the part of the EU as the guarantor of the Brussels Agreement and 26 individual agreements," Đurić stressed.

He pointed out that Serbia cannot and must not remain silent about this “trampling on a Brussels agreement”, and stressed that he would wait until the Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić has returned from Moscow, adding that this Priština’s movement would be discussed at the tomorrow’s session of the government.

The first step that Priština should have taken was to adopt regulation governing the establishment of the CSM and instead Priština is "trampling the Brussels agreement underfoot", Đurić said.

"Serbia cannot and will not remain silent in the face of such acts and after the Prime Minister has returned from Moscow we will consult with the representatives of the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija to propose measures for the government to take in this regard," Đurić said.

He added that this move the Provisional Institutions in Priština would be discussed as a summery item on the agenda of the government's session tomorrow.

"It is beyond doubt that this is a new and additional form of pressure on Serbia, which comes in already very difficult circumstances, and an attempt to overturn the achievements significant for the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, and to reverse and revoke the agreement favorable for Serbs. Pristina’s behavior is not geared towards implementing the agreed in good faith. Instead, it is clearly void of any good faith and good will, " said Đurić.

He pointed out such behavior is outrageous and scandalous, conducive to an attempt to reverse the hitherto achieved and to overturn parts of the agreement favorable for Serbs.

“Don’t tell me that Priština failed to adopt the regulation on the formation of CSM because Albin Kurti and some other bandits have been throwing tear gas in the Assembly. Does it mean that we should also come up with an Albin Kurti, who will be throwing tear gas around, and resort to that as a reason for defaulting on our international commitments? And would anyone in the international community tolerate that?”, Đurić asked.

He pointed to the absence of the spirit for normalizing relations and wondered whether the international community would remain silent.

Đurić stressed that much more can be said about what the Albanian side has failed to implement from the Brussels agreement. According to him, Priština has implemented nothing regarding the CSM, there is a delay in integrating civil protection and 120 former members of the Serbian Ministry of Interior, who were supposed to be integrated as Serbian police officers in the provincial MoI, have not been so far.

“As to the Kosovska Mitrovica Bridge and the Peace Park, no progress whatsoever has been made. All they do is stall the implementation of the Brussels agreement as much as possible, because they don’t seem happy at all about them and are therefore reverting to cans of tear gas. But that cannot absolve them from the responsibility for signing the agreement”, Đurić stressed.

Speaking about the stones pelted at the outpatient dispensary in Suvi Dol, Đurić underscored that the assaults on Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija do not stem from individual arbitrariness, but constitute an orchestrated political campaign directed against Serbs and Serbian interests in Kosovo and Metohija.

“If the topic of relations with Serbs and CSM is imposed and presented to the public in Kosovo and Metohija as the greatest single danger and the root of all their problems - instead of focusing on corruption and crime – than it is not surprising that many people feel encouraged to carry out such attacks. I call on Albanians to demonstrate wisdom and restraint and not fall prey to such manipulation. I strongly condemn the attack on Serbs in Suvi Do, whose timing and location is far from accidental”, Đurić said.

Đurić stated that Prime Minister Vučić will talk to EU representatives tomorrow and that the new situation will be seriously considered, as well as Priština’s moves.