Prishtina, Kosovo — A secretly recorded audio obtained by Dukagjini Television and aired on the show “FIVE” has revealed that Igor Popović, assistant to the director of the so-called Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government, clandestinely recorded an official meeting in Brussels on behalf of Serbia’s Security and Information Agency (BIA).
The meeting in question took place on September 17, 2020, between Serbian representatives and officials of the European Union.
Popović, who was recently arrested by Kosovo authorities, is under investigation for the criminal offense of “inciting division and intolerance.” Two mobile phones were seized during his arrest, and the Basic Court in Prishtina has ordered a one-month pre-trial detention.
In the audio, a Serbian-language exchange can be heard at the beginning of the recording, with the phrase: “Are you ready? Yes… record”, indicating the start of a covert taping.
During the session, a man is heard inviting Popović to introduce the discussion, which is then carried out by a representative named Nevena. Speaking in English, she refers to the “property of the Republic of Serbia” in the territory of Kosovo, including Serbian Orthodox Church assets and non-Albanian community properties. She emphasizes that resolving these issues requires a “high-level political dialogue and a final, legally binding agreement.”
“The property issue covers properties of the Republic of Serbia, Serbian state-owned enterprises, private companies belonging to Serbs and the non-Albanian population in the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija, as well as the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church,” Nevena states during the meeting.
She adds:
“The political level of resolving the property issue would entail high-level dialogue to reach final and legally binding decisions in all cases that cannot be resolved at lower levels.”
After the formal presentation, the recording continues with casual conversations within the venue, including remarks on COVID-19 restrictions and working schedules.
“We hope that by Sunday the COVID rules will magically disappear,” a woman is heard saying after the meeting.
In another segment, Popović himself is heard commenting:
“I think they almost exploded when they heard that [presentation].”
Another woman asks: “Did you manage to get all of it?” and a third adds: “We activated it.”
Popović responds that the recording covers the entire ten-minute meeting.
The revelations have sparked concern over the integrity of Brussels negotiations and raise questions about Serbia’s intelligence-gathering practices during official diplomatic engagements with the EU. Kosovo authorities continue to investigate the extent and intent of the surveillance operation.
