Petkovic meets with Ziadeh

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic met with UNMIK chief Caroline Ziadeh in Belgrade on Friday to discuss an upcoming UN Security Council session on Kosovo-Metohija and the permanently difficult position of Serbs in the province, drastically worsened by Pristina's most recent unilateral moves.

Petkovic noted that a ban on the Serbian dinar and cash operations with central Serbia made it impossible for Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija to receive their incomes and social benefits while Serbian institutions in the province no longer had access to funding and that, as a result, the Serb population had been pushed to the brink of a humanitarian disaster.

"Pristina's intent to get the topic of forming a Community of Serb Municipalities completely off the agenda through this decision is evident," Petkovic said, noting that the establishment of the Community was now over 4,000 days overdue and that Belgrade's financial support to Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija was envisioned to take place through the Community.

He also informed Ziadeh of the impossible conditions Pristina has set for a referendum to replace four mayors in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, and noted that Pristina's PM Albin Kurti was doing everything to ensure the referendum failed and to keep the false mayors in power with 3.5 pct voter support.

He said all of Pristina's moves were unequivocally aimed at a definite expulsion of Serbs from their ancestral homes in Kosovo-Metohija and at their existence being obliterated in the province.

Petkovic also noted the significance the work of UNMIK in line with its mandate and status neutrality has for Serbs and other non-Albanians in the province.