Appeal to Germany to help stabilize situation in region (Serbian Government, B92)
Prime Minister Ana Brnabic warned on Tuesday that there was a growing danger of further radicalization in Kosovo and Metohija, Serbian Government announced.
During the meeting with German Bundestag and Free Democrats' Party member Renata Alt, Brnabic said this danger was due to a series of moves that Pristina has taken over the past month.
Brnabic pointed out to the decisions of Pristina, firstly the one made on 6 November, introducing 10% tax on all products from central Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, followed by the decision of November 21 on additional tax increase by 100 percent, and the latest announcement of 3 December on the formation of the so-called "army of Kosovo".
She emphasized that all these decisions constitute an unequivocal and gross violation of international agreements and treaties, such as the CEFTA agreement and the Stabilization and Association Agreement, the Brussels Agreement, and even the Constitution of the so-called "Republic of Kosovo."
"Serbia will keep peace and stability. There is nothing more important than that for all citizens in the region," the prime minister reiterated.
According to Brnabic, thanks to the efforts and initiatives of the European Commission and individual EU members, such as Germany that initiated the Berlin Process, the whole region has made significant progress in recent years, first in a commercial sense.
This has opened space for new initiatives that we have begun to talk about – mutual recognition of professional and academic qualifications, roaming, launching of the Regional Institute for Research and Development, in order to ensure a different future and prosperity for our citizens, Brnabic explained.
However, all this was jeopardized by Pristina's decisions, and the formation of the "Kosovo army" represents the greatest danger. She once again asked for German support to re-open a clear prospect for regional co-operation and security for Serbs living in Kosovo.
Despite the unreasonable measures and the increasingly radical rhetoric from Pristina, Serbia will not impose countermeasures, because peace is difficult to establish, and it must be preserved, Brnabic underlined.
Serbia, as she pointed out, is oriented towards the future, and Belgrade and Pristina's reflection is obviously fundamentally different, because while Pristina is considering creating an army and conflict, Belgrade is considering creating a modern economy and education for the future.