BELGRADE – Director of Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) Marko Djuric said that Serb representatives in the province are ready to participate in the new Kosovo government, but only under certain conditions.
The most important condition is the formation of the community of Serb municipalities in line with the agreement reached by Belgrade and Pristina on April 19, 2013 in Brussels, as well as improving the safety of the citizens, Djuric said in an interview to Belgrade-based weekly Novi Magazin.
Other conditions include putting a stop to the invasion of property of the state of Serbia through illegal privatization which endangers Serb enclaves south of the Ibar River, and the return of usurped property of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the people of KiM.
When asked if it is possible for the Srpska list and Albin Kurti’s Self-Determination (ethnic Albanian movement) to sit side by side in the government of Kosovo, which will be led by one of the commanders of the former (paramilitary formation) KLA Ramus Haradinaj, Djuric replied that Belgrade does not speculate on potential coalition partners but focuses only on state priorities.
He also pointed out that Serbia has no reason to fear the Chapter 35 (related to Kosovo) in the EU accession talks and announced that the European Commission is to prepare a report by September which will serve as a basis for the decision when this chapter will be opened.
“This will largely depend on the implementation of the Brussels Agreement, but the important thing for us are the clear signals that it will not depend on the circumstances and political processes on which Serbia has no influence,” he said.
Djuric also emphasized that the unfounded arrest threats made to Serbs and the groundless detention of Oliver Ivanovic, leader of the Citizens’ Initiative ‘Freedom, Democracy, Justice’, do not lead to stability and easing of tensions in KiM.
He recalled that the government of Serbia offered guarantees for Ivanovic’s release pending trial, which the KiM judicial authorities ignored.
“Unfortunately, there is nothing else we can do but continue the talks, offer guarantees and finance the defense,” said Djuric, noting that the Kosovo law allows the citizens to be kept in detention pending trial for up to two years.
Djuric said that he expects the authorities to either issue an indictment soon or to dismiss the case against Ivanovic, who was arrested on January 27 on suspicion that he participated in several crimes committed in 1999 and 2000, including an aggravated murder.
