Djuric and Petkovic meet with Quint and EU ambassadors: "We expect Igor Popovic to be released"

Photo: Tanjug/Rade Prelic

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric and the director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, spoke in Belgrade with ambassadors of the Quint countries (US, UK, France, Germany, Italy) and the head of the EU Mission about the situation in the southern Serbian province after the arrest of assistant director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Igor Popovic.

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It was pointed out that the arrest of Popovic represents a continuation of the political persecution of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, while this time the target was a member of the government's negotiating team, which is completely unacceptable to Belgrade.

Minister Djuric recalled that the arrest took place during the days when anniversaries of the murders of Serbs and Romani in Orahovac and Stari Gracko are commemorated.

By arresting Serbs and Serbian officials, as well as with other unlawful moves, the authorities in Pristina are trying to impose some "truth" of their own, as well as an interpretation of historical events according to their standards, not the factual situation, Djuric concluded and reiterated the expectation that Igor Popovic will be released as soon as possible, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The meeting with Djuric was attended by ambassadors of Italy and the UK, as well as chargé d'affaires of the US, France, Germany embasssies and the EU Mission.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)