Starović: Whenever there is a hold-up in the dialogue, Pristina is inclined to act unilaterally

The special session of the Assembly of Serbia on Kosovo and Metohija, at which the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, will speak to the deputies, will be held today. The MPs should be informed of all the details of the dialogue with Pristina.

Speaking on the RTS morning program, Starović said that today's session will be an important opportunity for President Vučić to inform the deputies on where we stand in the process of dialogue today, especially after the last round of the renewed dialogue in Brussels.

Starović points out that our position is favorable, because Belgrade represents a side that is responsible, credible, fulfills its obligations and has a full right to ask the other side to act responsibly.

According to him, experience has taught us that very often the Pristina side is rewarded for its unconstructive actions, as well as for its unilateral moves.

He reminds that Vučić warned both Albin Kurti and European mediators in the dialogue, and asked them not to allow the endangerment of the Serbian people and members of other non-majority communities in Kosovo and Metohija.

"Dialogue is stalled not by the will of our side, but by the will of the other side, Pristina is prone to unilateral and even violent moves", said Starović.

"I am sure that Vučić will repeat such messages in the Assembly today", said Starović.

He points out that the desire for the so-called Kosovo Security Force (KSF) to be transformed into the Kosovo Army is unacceptable for us, and that the only legitimate armed formation in Kosovo and Metohija is the KFOR Mission.

"The announcements from recent months that the KFOR Mission could withdraw were worrying. It is important that there is direct and open communication between Vučić and Stoltetenberg, and that we received a certain kind of assurance that the KFOR Mission will not withdraw", says Starović.

"So, we insist that KFOR be the guarantor of security in Kosovo and Metohija", underlines Starović.

Speaking about the pressures from the EU and the region to which we are exposed, Starović believes that we should refrain from them, and not fall for any provocations.

"We often do not respond to numerous poisonous arrows, from neighboring capitals, because we are looking at the bigger picture and we see a region that will strive for mutual prosperity, mutual cooperation, we are on the path of economic convergence. We have proved that we can win, but we will not remain blind and deaf to the endangerment of our interests in the region", the state secretary pointed out.

"Our destiny is largely conditioned by our geographical position, we are in the inner courtyard of the EU, and there are two possible routes to Europe, one leads through Zagreb and the other through Budapest", he says.

In the first six months, there were violent incidents against members of the Serbian people and cultural heritage facilities, more than during the entire last year, whenever there is a hold-up in the dialogue, Pristina is inclined to act unilaterally and provoke incidents, Starović reiterated.

"Albanian extremists would like Serbs to be no more, and to see tractor columns and cultural heritage destroyed, they want to falsify the historical foundations of cultural heritage", Starović concluded, adding that this would not be allowed to happen.

Source: RTS