Petar Petković, the director of the Serbian government’s office for Kosovo, has reiterated that Serbia will insist on the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities during the ongoing round of dialogue in Brussels.
In an interview with the Serbian newspaper Blic before the start of the talks, Petković stated that although Kosovo’s chief negotiator, Besnik Bislimi, had confirmed his arrival, it was uncertain whether a trilateral meeting would take place this time.
“The continuation of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is scheduled for today, but the question remains whether the recent explosion in Zubin Potok will impact the process,” Blic asked Petković.
Petković emphasized that Serbia’s policy is to participate in the dialogue, which he sees as the only platform to resolve the “Kosovo problem” and seek solutions. “Compromise is a good word for us, but unfortunately, it is prohibited in Pristina,” he remarked. He stressed that despite Serbia’s political will to resolve issues, this will is not reciprocated from Pristina.
“Mr. Bislimi doesn’t even want to meet with me directly, and as always, we are going to Brussels with experts, arguments, and preparation,” Petković continued. He also said that he would insist on a trilateral meeting during this round of discussions and press Bislimi to provide concrete evidence for the accusations against Serbia.
“I will insist that Mr. Bislimi show concrete proof for his accusations against Serbia. There is no evidence, only political accusations. Believe me, neither Bislimi, nor Sveçla, nor Kurti will change their stance, because they falsely accused Belgrade, which has no connection to the explosion in the Ibar-Lepenc canal,” Petković asserted, echoing the words of Serbia’s top leadership.
The Brussels negotiations are seen as crucial for future relations between Kosovo and Serbia, with the European Union urging both sides to de-escalate tensions and move forward with normalization agreements. However, the continued insistence on the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities by Serbia remains a significant point of contention.
