Office for Kosovo and Metohija
Government of the Republic of Serbia

Đurić: Project of false statehood in Kosovo and Metohija will be a flop

Marko Đurić said that the project of establishing a false statehood in Kosovo and Metohija, regardless of the billions of euros invested in it, will not succeed, adding that a generational struggle to regain our interests is ahead of state of Serbia.

Đurić stated his belief that such a project should be replaced with the one of material dialogue between the Serbian and Albanian peoples.

Asked to comment on the statement made by the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, that the dream of a "Greater Albania" no longer exists, Đurić said he did not know which Rama to trust.

"Should it be the Rama who said this last week, or the one who said the exact opposite several months ago? In any case, it is in Serbian interest to develop good relations with both Rama and Albania," Đurić said.

According to him, promotion of relations can lead to disarming of hostilities and of tensions that also exist with the Kosovo Albanians political elite.

Đurić pointed out that the struggle for Kosovo and Metohija does not tolerate campaigning approach but rather that it requires dedicated, serious, persistent and, on top of all that, generational effort.

"A struggle spanning accross the generations awaits the Serbian people and the Serbian state in order to regain back our interests and our statehood related to Kosovo and Metohija", Đurić underlined.

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija attended the press conference and the presentation of the book of Andrea Lorenzo Capussela, "State Building in Kosovo", which was presented at the book stand of the Official Gazette of the Belgrade Book Fair.

We continue to support Trepča

Serbia will continue to support the Mining-Metallurgical Combine "Trepča", Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Đurić stated, and added that Trepča is ready to continue operating even in conditions of total blockade.

Đurić told the reporters at the Belgrade Book Fair that "Trepča" is operational, producing and exporting, and that he expected it to continue to operate in the coming months.

"It is of essential importance for us that no worker of Trepča is out of work," Đurić said.

Stating that Serbia will continue to support Trepča, Đurić explained that it does not imply financial aid, at the moment, since Trepča is fully able to service its obligations.

"Workers are coming to work every day and working. So far everything is normal, except for the fact that we are preparing even for the worst instead of sitting by idly," Đurić said.

Asked to explain in more details, Đuirć said that Trepča was ready to continue producing even in conditions of total blockade for some time, as he was informed by the management of Trepča.

"We are committed to take political, legal and all other measures in order to enable Trepča to continue to function, as established by the decision passed by the government," Đurić concluded.

Mustafa should focus on what he undersigned

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Đurić invited the PISG Prime Minister Isa Mustafa to focus on what he undersigned in reference to the Community Serbian Municipalities (CSM).

Asked to comment on Mustafa's statement that the problem with the so-called Kosovo opposition in reference to the CSM has been solved, and that the CSM would be established but on the basis of an agreement which omits any executive powers, Đurić said that it was already a fait accompli, and explained:

"They accepted the CSM on the basis of the Agreement of 25 August, which was also signed by Isa Mustafa, it is not to the detriment of anyone, but it is to the benefit of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija and there is no going back there," Đurić said at the Belgrade Fair.

As for the idea that certain internal decisions which were made by the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, "which itself was not involved in these negotiations", might have an impact on the CSM, Đurić says that the only relevant matter is what the two sides agreed.

"The CSM can be based only on what has been agreed, not on what someone unilaterally amended," said Đurić.

Earlier today Mustafa said that the problems with the opposition regarding with the establishment of the CSM have been resolved and that it will be established but, as he put it, on the basis of the Agreement that was first signed in Brussels and on the basis of the decision made by the Constitutional Court, which stipulate that the CSM has no executive competences.