Office for Kosovo-Metohija representatives banned from entering province

PRISTINA - Pristina and its PM Albin Kurti last night banned two assistant directors of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija from entering the province, the Office has confirmed to Tanjug.

Svetlana Miladinov and Igor Popovic were to attend Municipality Day celebrations in Kosovska Mitrovica on Thursday.

The Office's Director Petar Petkovic, who is also Belgrade's chief negotiator in the dialogue with Pristina, has been denied entry to Kosovo-Metohija for months now, and two of his other assistants, Jelena Stojkovic and Milena Parlic, suffered the same treatment on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

Stojkovic was scheduled to visit two underprivileged families in the province.

All four of Petkovic's aides were told the ban would remain in place until December 31 but no explanation was provided.

Under a Brussels agreement on freedom of movement, assistant directors of the Office may visit Kosovo-Metohija without prior notification to Pristina.