Director of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric yesterday said that Serbia’s leadership is addressing Kosovo as the most important issue and that it endeavors to find solution which will enable not only survival to citizens but strengthening as well.

“Serbia should open wide and serious dialogue on long-term strategy on Kosovo. The wisest individuals should take part in it including Academy of Science, think-tanks, representatives of church, university and all who could say something about that issue,” said Djuric to TV Most.

Reflecting on the creation of the government in Pristina Djuric emphasized that it is important for Serbs to take part in that process in order to have as many leverages in their hands as possible.

“When elections were taking place we clearly said that it was not about elections about different parties but elections where we all struggled, and succeeded to certain level, to have more influence as Serbia and Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija,” said Djuric.

With regard to Hashim Thaci’s statement that government in Pristina can be formed without the Serbian List he said that it is politically unrealistic and “contrary to democratic standards and principles which have to exist in southern Serbian province”, but contrary to valid laws and contrary to normalization of relations between Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo, as well.

Djuric went on to say that “nothing that jeopardizes the feeling of safety of Serbs in Northern Mitrovica will be acceptable as the solution”.

“Belgrade is not thinking, even theoretically to accept solution which won’t satisfy citizens with regard to the main bridge over the Ibar River. We agreed in Brussels that nothing will change with regard to the ‘Park of Peace’, it is still there and will be there and nothing will be carried out without the consent and agreement of citizens of Northern Mitrovica,” said Djuric.

He said that there is a fear that the pace of the European integration of Serbia could depend on political developments in Kosovo.

“From that reason we’ve asked guarantees from the representatives of the European Commission that it won’t be the case. They said that, as much as it is up to them, they will not measure in their reports, for example, implementation of the Brussels agreement through elements which are not implemented by Pristina, while behavior of each individual member states appears to be known only to themselves,” said Djuric.