In the middle of the week, head of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric was in Pristina, where he met with Serbian liaison officer Dejan Pavicevic, walked around the town, had lunch in the centre, visited the local church Sv. Nikola and visited Gracanica.
Djuric later explained that “his task is to show that this is something normal and that it should be an integral part of the normalization of relations.”
A former member of the Assembly of Kosovo, Rada Trajkovic and DSS official, Marko Jaksic are not delighted with this Djuric’s “excursion”, while political analyst Dusan Janjic do not exclude the possibility that Kosovo officials soon reciprocate, by visiting Belgrade.
Rada Trajkovic warns that “Đurić’s demonstration of freedom of movement” could be the announcement of the removal of flower pots, from the Peace Park in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica.
“Djuric has shown that if he can walk through Pristina, Serbs from Mitrovica North can do the same in the southern part of the town. He can talk with the liaison officer in Belgrade, every day. He did that at the time when the report of the U.S. prosecutor Clint Williamson confirmed that south of the river against the Serbs was committed ethnic cleansing in continuity, and the head of EULEX arrests prominent Serbs in northern Kosovo according to secret indictments, which leads to the destabilization of the region,” said Trajkovic.
She says that in the case of Djuric, walk through Pristina is not a problem, because no one from Pristina knows him. She recalls that Borislav Stefanovic, Belgrade’s chief negotiator in the technical dialogue, three years ago in Pristina was greeted with stones, while Veljko Odalovic even during 1999 walked through this city, because he was then the chief of the Kosovo district, and he is in constant communication with Albanians. Belgrade media, referring to the Office for Kosovo, claimed that Djuric is the first Serbian official who walked through Pristina, since 1999.
“Đurić’s walk in Pristina had exceeded the measure of good taste, keeping in mind the on-going persecution and arrests of the prominent Serbs in northern Kosovo, and the fact that Serbs are leaving this area. People are following the leaders. The same day he walked through Pristina, EULEX issued warrants for former and current mayor of Zubin Potok, Slavisa Ristic and Stevan Vulovic. This shows that the government is conducting an irresponsible policy. Which economic projects, when the Serbs are moving out. Whom do they lie,” says Marko Jaksic, a DSS official.
Political analyst Dusan Janjic, points out that “contrary to those who, as state officials and friends went to Hashim Thaci, but did not want to be photographed, Djuric at least made a photo, as evidence that he was in Pristina.” “This has refuted speculation of Pristina media that the Serbian liaison officer Dejan Pavicevic is not in Pristina. Djuric also measured the level of security and encouraged other Serbs to come to Pristina. If this was a walk in the spirit of the Brussels agreement, it confirmed that pristina is the capital of Kosovo. After this it would be okay that Kosovo liaison officer, Valdet Sadiku with Hashim Thaci or some of his ministers walk through Belgrade,” explains Janjic.
Marko Djuric said that he discussed with Pavicevic in Pristina “the unification of the existing economic potential and joint work with representatives of the Provisional Institutions on the projects that are important to both communities.” According to him, the Brussels talks on the Peace Park and flower pots on the bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica will continue in September.
