Balkans | Serbia appeals to Kosovo to arrest a former policeman of Serb origin

Serbia calls on Kosovo to release a former police officer of Serb origin who is being held in the north of the country.

Petar Petkovic, director of the Kosovo office of the Government of Serbia, has called on Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti to release Dejan Pantik, a former police officer of Serbian origin, who was being held in the north of the country.

Petković, in his written statement, estimated that the barricades in northern Kosovo meant “freedom” for the Serb population.

Defending that Korti is seeking “ethnic cleansing” in the north, Petković said, “Korti needs to coordinate with himself and immediately release Dejan Pantic. Korti must also withdraw the Kosovo police, who have no right to be in the area.” Use phrases.

According to AA News. Referring to the mission of the NATO force in Kosovo (KFOR), Petković said, “The mission of KFOR is to ensure the security of the Serbs in the region, not to be with him in its actions against the Serbs, as Kurti believes.” made a statement.

In his speech at the 6th Ambassadors Conference organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of Kosovo, Kosovo President Vyuza Osmani said that Serbia is undermining the dialogue process.

Noting that Serbia would not be able to destabilize Kosovo, Osmani said, “Such a thing of course will never be allowed, and our actions to establish the rule of law in every part of our territory will increase. The final agreement must be based on mutual recognition and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.” and the constitutional order and institutional function of the Republic of Kosovo”. Use phrases.

Osmani also touched on the problems that Kosovo faced in 2022 in the field of foreign policy and said:

Throughout 2022, Serbia continued active actions against our international position, banning recognition and new membership in international organizations. We have fought against these measures taken by Serbia in cooperation with allied countries and have taken concrete steps to establish communication channels with countries that do not know us, and this year, as you know, we have also applied for membership in the Council of Europe and the European Union. “

Tension between Kosovo and Serbia

After the arrest of former Serbian police officer Pantek, tensions between Kosovo and Serbia escalated dramatically.

In response to Bantik’s detention, Kosovo Serbs have been manning the barricades they have erected at the Yarenje and Brinjak border crossings since 10 December.

The European Union, NATO and the United States of America called for de-escalation and the removal of roadblocks in northern Kosovo. Serbia had asked the Kosovo Force to deploy the Serbian army and police in northern Kosovo.

Serbia considers Kosovo, which unilaterally declared its independence in 2008, to be its territory.

Serbia and Kosovo, which clash periodically, are trying to find a common way to normalize relations, and eventually the two countries get to know each other, within the scope of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue process that began in 2011 with the mediation of the European Union.

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