The new Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Đurić said yesterday in Gračanica/Graçanicë that doors of the Office will remain open for all who live in Kosovo and Metohija, and that the time has come for settling the dispute between Albanians and Serbs.
“It’s time for the dispute amongst us to end, that solution is found which will satisfy, as much as possible, needs of all, including Albanians. Kosovo and Metohija is today bad place for living for Serbs, however it is not good place for Albanians either,” said Đurić while addressing journalists and citizens.
He further said that the same, evil destiny awaits and Albanian and Serbian children, if divisions on clans, mafia-type of organizing, trade with narcotic, human beings and weapons are not stopped.
Đurić stressed that Serbia is not to be blamed for bad situation in the province and underlined that it didn’t impose any sort of sanctions, trade embargo or energy blockade against Pristina authorities. According to him Serbia wishes to be part of the solution and actor of progress.
“Thus, I call on Albanians and citizens of the Republic of Serbia, from Kosovo and Metohija and other parts of the state to join us in talks, in order to find ways to live in peace, to ensure that years which are ahead don’t bring us new hopelessness, instead we should settle our inherited problems and correct mistakes form the past,” said Djurić. He went on to say that Serbs and Albanians need each other, in order that peaceful future of Serbian and Albanian children could be the priority to all participants in the process and underlined that he is always ready to talk about that future.
Đurić said that in his work in the Office for Kosovo and Metohija he will be led by the state interest and that he will closely cooperate with all, no matter on their party affiliation. He stressed that today’s position of Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija is unsustainable and that it is not worthy of the century they live in.
“We’ll do everything, in cooperation with the European Union and other international partners to enable sustainable return of displaced, whereas those who live today in the province should be offered maximum social, economic and political rights, as to any other citizens in any other part of the planet,” said Đurić.
He stressed that basic rights of the members of Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija are today at the very low level. Djurić assessed that Serbia, through dialogue with representatives of the provisional institutions of self-governance in Pristina, has managed to set, to a certain degree, good basis for improving the position of Kosovo Serbs.
“Creation of the union of Serbian municipalities and its successful functioning will be one of the priorities in the upcoming period. Serbian name is brought back through Brussels agreement in the political terminology in the province and it is recognized today by Europe and the world, and provisional authorities in Pristina. Thus, it is important to preserve that name,” said Đurić.
He stressed that Serbia didn’t forget its people in the province and that ‘as long as there are Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, there will be and Serbia, too’.
