Petkovic receives UN's Krois ahead of UNSC session on UNMIK

BELGRADE - The director of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic received the head of the UN Office to Serbia Dominika Krois ahead of Tuesday's UN Security Council session on the work of UNMIK, the UN mission in Kosovo-Metohija.

Petkovic warned that Pristina's most recent escalatory moves put the survival of Serbs in the province in doubt and posed a serious threat to peace on the ground.

The parties exchanged views on a semiannual report on UNMIK.

Petkovic said he expected the report to include the numerous incidents Pristina had recently caused through unilateral and unlawful moves, terrorising and harassing the Serbs on a daily basis.

He pointed out the most recent arrest of Serb pilgrims from central Serbia, which he said was aimed at causing fresh tensions and at putting renewed pressure on the Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija.

"A total 16 Serbs who wanted to visit Serbian churches and monasteries during the weekend before a great Orthodox Christian holiday, Annunciation, have been arrested. It is clear that physical and legal violence as well as suppression of religious freedoms are at work," Petkovic said.

Through its actions, Pristina is clearly demonstrating that it has no intent of meeting its commitments from the Brussels dialogue, least of all, the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities, he said.

"After threatening the basic existence of the Serbs, by closing Serbian institutions in Kosovo-Metohija - in particular, those that are envisioned as the basis and the foundation of the Community of Serb Municipalities - the Pristina regime has demonstrated it has no intent whatsoever of meeting its commitments from the Brussels dialogue, least of all, of forming the Community of Serb Municipalities, which is 12 years overdue," Petkovic noted.