Djuric meets with Botsan-Kharchenko: Immediate release of Igor Popovic is our primary goal

Photo: MSP

Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric met on Thursday with Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko, in order to inform him about the current developments in Kosovo and Metohija, and the importance Serbia attaches to the unfounded and illegal arrest of Assistant Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Igor Popovic.

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Popovic was detained by Ptistina's provisional institutions.

"The arrest of Igor Popovic is not only a gross violation of basic human rights and a violation of legal procedures, but also an act of political persecution and the continuation of a wider campaign of intimidation, humiliation and pressure on the Serb people in the province, that especially intensified in the last three years," said Djuric.

Explaining that Popovic - as an official of the Republic of Serbia and a member of the negotiating team in the dialogue that is conducted under the auspices of the European Union - was detained only because Albin Kurti's regime was bothered by the truth spoken at the commemoration for the Serbs murdered in Orahovac, Djuric recalled that Popovic's words condemning those crimes were also confirmed at the international level, among other things in UN Security Council Resolution 1160 (1998).

"The primary goal in relation to this case is to ensure his immediate release and safe return home, and our authorities will take every possible political and legal measures against the responsible actors, while preserving peace and stability," underlined the minister.

The head of Serbian diplomacy once again expressed his gratitude to the Russian Federation for its firm and principled stance in support of Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for Russia's understanding of the gravity of the position of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, and for the many years of the support that Russia has been providing to us in international organizations on these issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

(Telegraf.rs)