Petkovic: Kurti is once again causing a crisis in Kosovo and Metohija by seizing Serb-owned land

Photo: Tanjug/ Tara Radovanovic

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic says that the "occupation Gauleiter (mayor)" appointed by Albin Kurti in northern Kosovska Mitrovica has taken a new step towards militarization and occupation of northern Kosovo and Metohija with his para-police forces today, by stealing land in the majority Serb municipality.

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The Office said in a statement that the occupying authorities in the municipality of North Mitrovica today, without announcement, public discussion or any consultation with the citizens, allocated a large plot of municipal land on which public companies Standard, Vodovod, and the Temporary Authority of Kosovska Mitrovica are located, to the so-called Ministry of Interior of Kosovo.

According to Petkovic, this was done to make "the shackles imposed on the Serb people north of the Ibar River" even heavier, and to create a new police stronghold in those Serb areas.

"The usurpation of this land by Kurti's occupation Gauleiter is another attempt to cause a new crisis in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, and thus avoid Pristina's obligations regarding the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO), but also prevent the process of dismissing illegal mayors, which has been initiated by the Serbs from the north of this municipality," said Petkovic.

He stressed that he informed all international officials about the new and illegal escalatory decision made by Albin Kurti and that he expects an urgent response from them in order to stop "the rampage of this Kurti's Gauleiter."

He further states that more than 300 people are employed in the public utility companies in question, and for that reason many families' livelihoods depend on those jobs, while the number of employees in the Temporary Authority is significantly higher.

"In the immediate vicinity of these facilities, there are also a sports venue, railway and bus stations, the construction of a school for Romani children had started in that area, but this was stopped by the occupying mayor, there are also residential buildings, student dormitories and there is no need or purpose for members of Kurti's police force, which is known only for inflicting ill on the Serb people, to be moving in there," said Petkovic.

According to him, it has become even more clear now that Albin Kurti does not intend to do anything to ease inter-ethnic tensions in Kosovo and Metohija, but wants more escalation in the north of Serbia's southern province.

"It is clear that Kurti wants to keep the Serb municipalities in the north of Kosovo permanently under occupation, which is why he obstructs the procedure for the removal of his Gauleiter and uses every opportunity to make anti-Serb and anti-legal decisions to the detriment of our people. Throughout history, no occupation has been permanent and sooner or later the occupiers get forced to retreat before the will of the people, and the will of the Serb people is to be in charge of their own destiny and dispose of their property in the municipalities where they live," concluded Petkovic.

(Telegraf.rs)