Meeting of Minister Đurić with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

Minister Đurić underlined that the Republic of Serbia attaches immense importance to its cooperation with the OSCE, especially in the field of protecting the rights and freedoms of national minorities. He expressed the expectation that the OSCE, together with other relevant international actors, will in the coming period be able to exert influence on the current authorities in Pristina to honor the agreements reached within the Brussels Agreement and related documents. He stressed that, in recent months, there has been a significant deterioration in human rights and freedoms, particularly with respect to the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija. The Serbian Foreign Minister provided a detailed briefing on numerous measures and actions undertaken by the authorities in Pristina which have sought—and continue to seek—to make life more difficult for Serbs in the southern province and to pressure them into leaving, citing data on arbitrary arrests and physical attacks on representatives of Serbian parties and their property.

Minister Đurić reiterated Serbia’s commitment to addressing outstanding issues through dialogue and the involvement of the international community—ranging from restrictions on freedom of movement and the safety of Serbs, to the usurpation of private property and that of the Serbian Orthodox Church, as well as obstacles to the free flow of goods and to the normalization of economic cooperation. He emphasized Serbia’s interest in ensuring that Serbs and Serbian political parties, primarily the Serbian List, participate under equal and fair conditions in the upcoming elections in Kosovo and Metohija, so that Serbian representatives may be adequately represented at all levels of government and in all institutions.

Expressing gratitude for the engagement of the OSCE and its missions in the region, Minister Đurić conveyed his expectation that, in the near future, direct communication with High Commissioner Abdrakhmanov will continue to further advance the cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the OSCE.