Jevtic: Position of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija worse than ever, 15 years after unilateral declaration

Photo: ATA images

On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, the vice-president of the Serb List and the mayor of Strpce, Dalibor Jevtic, says that the position of the Serbs has never been worse and that Pristina's policy is aimed at denying those rights that are in the laws of Kosovo and Metohija.

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Fifteen years since the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, Serbs still live isolated in their communities, with great institutional discrimination, with the rights of second-class citizens, even though on paper their rights are guaranteed.

Jevtic says that when it comes to the position of Serbs, the situation has never been worse.

"Everything that has been happening since the moment Albin Kurti came to power is aimed at denying those rights that are in the laws in Kosovo and Metohija," Jevtic told RTS.

The number of incidents, he says, has doubled since Kurti became prime minister, which describes the attitude of the current authorities in Pristina towards Serbs.

"At the central level, there are no political representatives of the Serbs, which also speaks of the attitude. All this completes the whole picture of the problem in which the Serbs find themselves today and of living in conditions that are unsafe, with very weak economic prospects, and all due to the fact that the current government is doing everything to humiliate Serbs and put them in as difficult a position as possible," says Jevtic.

However, Jevtic stresses that there is no alternative to dialogue and that it is necessary to talk in order to avoid conflicts.

"Unfortunately, on the other hand, Kurti and the government in Pristina are not ready for dialogue, because for them dialogue is something that will deprive them, as they think, of some rights," the vice-president of the Serb List pointed out.

He said that Serbs are subjected to unjust arrests, and that those who want to recover their property are accused of alleged war crimes.

"I always insist that a large part of the responsibility lies with the international community, which should not tolerate institutional violence against Serbs at all levels," says Jevtic.

He confirms that 80 percent of cases of violence against Serbs occur south of the Ibar, but that in Strpce they do not have a problem with local Albanians, but with those who do not live in that municipality.

"Albanian people accept a rhetoric that is very harsh towards Serbs. Serbs are constantly spoken of as criminals," Jevtic stressed.

When it comes to the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO), Jevtic says that the fact is that Washington has finally seen that Kurti is not only not ready to form ZSO, but is also not ready to secure any rights to the Serb people.

"Washington's position is that everything should be done to avoid any conflict in this part of Europe," says Jevtic, but notes that some in Europe that are not part of the EU, such as Great Britain, approach the whole problem in a different way.

He says that he saw in the US the determination of Washington to really approach the problem in a different manner this time.

He is sure that there are some deadlines and that they are very determined to form the Community of Serb Municipalities.

(Telegraf.rs)