Starović: Wind at the back of Priština's aggressive ambitions coming from the Quint

Starović, in a guest appearance on the Radio Television of Serbia, said that Albin Kurti, by announcing violence against the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija as of 1 October, was deliberately moving towards escalation, counting on the fact that geopolitical circumstances worked in his favour.

“Kurti is convinced that the escalation will work in his favour and that by triggering violence against the Serbs and provocations by a world's major power, he will put up a security umbrella over Priština and enable them to violently implement their interests and perpetrate violence against the Serbs in order to make them leave.

Our response must be thought out and decisive at the same time,” said Starović.

According to him, part of the Western international community encouraged Kurti, and it was no secret that certain members of the Quint were giving wind to Kurti's aggressive ambitions, which was why he posed as a faithful servant of the West's policy, for whom everything was permitted, including the brutal violence against the Serbs that he has prepared.

Starović emphasised that it was incomprehensible how EU representatives interpreted Priština's sinister announcements regarding registration plates and identity cards by justifying Kurti's announcements, without basic knowledge of the agreement.

”The fact that Kurti allegedly has the right to force the Serbs to give up their registration plates, and that they have to replace them, is not established in the Agreement”, stated Starović and added that the EU's reactions were absolutely inappropriate, that the EU was not acting as someone who has been given the mandate to be a mediator and was stepping aside when the agreements were to be finally implemented.

According to Starović, Kurti obviously figured out that his unilateral moves were paying off, as well as the naked violence against the Serbs that he carried out in September last year as regards the attempt to seize registration plates, in October when he perpetrated naked violence against the Serbs under the pretext of fighting corruption, and subsequently in January and April this year, when the  Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija were prevented from voting in the referendum and in the elections.

“Each time we had rhetorical disapproval from the Quint and the EU, but Kurti did not bear any consequences for such unilateral moves,” said Starović.

Starović says that this is an established pattern of Priština's conduct because every time an international consensus on the necessity for the Albanians in Kosovo to implement agreements is about to be reached, including the agreement on the Community of Serb Municipalities, Priština opens up a new focus and issues that need to be addressed in order to “put out the fire that it has started.”

Starović stated that essentially there was no dialogue and there would be none, but that Serbia should not abandon the negotiating table because it would be shooting itself in the foot.

“I don't know what the content of the dialogue could be, what could be discussed if Pristina is implementing the agenda of unilateral moves,” said Starović and emphasised that Belgrade opted for the preservation of peace and stability and that a solution must be sought within those frameworks.

Starović also stated there was no doubt that the pressure on the five EU member states to change their position and decide to recognise the Albanian secession was increasing.

He emphasised that there was no mention of mutual recognition in any document, and if something like that were set as a condition, it would be unacceptable for Belgrade and Serbia’s answer would be clear.

“The EU does not have a mandate to conduct negotiations aimed at mutual recognition.

If the EU wants to change its mandate, let it return it to the UN General Assembly and start the process from the beginning.

It is not acceptable to change the rules of the game during play,” said Starović.