The Director of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Djuric, said today in a talk with UNMIK chief Farid Zarif in Kosovska Mitrovica that Belgrade’s key interest in Kosovo is stability. He added that Serbia, with the “reinforced power” it has gained from entering the provincial government and parliament of Kosovo, will continue to fight for the rights of its citizens. 

Djuric said that he informed the UN chief in Kosovo that representatives of the Serbian people are actively participating in forming the new provincial administration and government. He said that Serbia intends to support Kosovo Serb participation in the government, in order to solve some of the accumulated problems. 

Among those problems, the Head of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo mentioned violent seizures of the Serbian community’s property in Kosovo and the predatory privatization that is carried out in the province. 

“Our message to the head of UNMIK was that Serbia… will continue to fight for the right of every citizen in Kosovo, for each farm, house and monument, and the right to live in dignity and to survive on our own soil,” Djuric said. 

Djuric said that the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo, the adoption of the related statute, and the struggle to fulfill the parts of the Brussels agreement related to the Association/Community, will be crucial tasks in the coming months. 

“I spoke with the UNMIK chief, Farid Zarif, about the current political and security situation in Kosovo, and I told him that Serbia’s key interest is stability in the province,” Djuric said. He added that economic development projects in Kosovo were also discussed at the meeting. 

“I am convinced that Serbia can rely on the support and understanding of the UN system. After all, Serbia is a member of the UN, and our talks were held in the spirit of mutual understanding and achieving the aim of all reasonable politicians – namely stability,” said Duric. 

After the closed-door meeting, which was held in Kosovska Mitrovica, UNMIK chief Farid Zarif did not give a statement to the press.