‘If it hadn’t been for last week’s tragedy at Zvečan, there would have been something else to serve as a trigger. Kurti’s regime has taken away from the Serbs all the collective political and economic rights, and deliberately created the preconditions for conflicts and just these sorts of situations’

“The idea that Belgrade is behind the events in Banjska is absurd and meaningless! Everyone is clear that up until that week we had been observing Kurti himself destroy the position of the so-called independent Kosovo and break the relationships with just the international actors that had led to its formation. We had gained momentum, and additional, far harsher measures against Kurti should have been considered. You can support the Serbian position or be against it, support or be against the current Government of Serbia, but let us agree that it is not so naïve as to shoot itself in the foot,” Marko Đurić, Serbia’s Ambassador to the US, said in his interview with Kurir.

Đurić added that the idea that the US was behind the events in Banjska is equally absurd as the idea that Belgrade was behind them.

“If there’s one thing that we agree about with Americans regarding Kosovo & Metohija, it’s the maintaining of stability and supporting the attempts to seek solutions through dialogue. When it comes to specific topics of importance for the position of the Serbian community in Kosovo & Metohija, despite the disagreement about the status, the US authorities have had a constructive role. The US definitely doesn’t want another conflict in Europe, and neither does Serbia.”

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Petar Aleksić 

What was the first response that reached you regarding the events in Banjska? And how different was what you heard from the representatives of Serbia and what you heard from the US side?

“The response of the US is an expected knee-jerk response of a great power which had been among the first to support the independence of the so-called Kosovo. I do believe, however, that Serbia and the US still have a fundamental mutual interest in Kosovo & Metohija – stability. Albin Kurti had been diligently working for over 20 months to cause just such a knee-jerk response of the countries who had supported the unilateral secession some 15 years ago. The logic is simple – they don’t need to like either me, or what I do, but, at the end of the day, they had recognized Kosovo as independent, which means that, if they want to stay consistent regarding this strategic decision, they cannot deny me from doing what I want and represent it as the sovereign exercise of power in my own territory. Moreover, if I adopt a liberal and democratic rhetoric in doing so, the sky’s the limit. Anything Kurti needed, therefore, was the smallest actual or fabricated reason for him to transfer all the pressure from himself to the Serbian side. That took place last week, and all the supporters of the so-called independent Kosovo welcomed it with relief. The event that took place in Banjska is a great tragedy for Serbia and the entire Serbian nation, and it is bad for the Albanian people as well, but it is by far and away the worst for the families of those killed. If it hadn’t been for it, there would have been something else to serve as the trigger. Kurti’s regime took away from the Serbs all the collective political and economic rights, as well as, unfortunately, a good deal of the basic human rights. Kurti has deliberately created all the preconditions for conflicts and just these sorts of events.”

There is some ground to the theory that Priština has orchestrated this with the help of the foreign centres of power, seeing as Priština with Albin Kurti at its helm put their foot in it regarding the dialogue in the past few weeks. What is your view on this?

“Belgrade is not behind the events in Banjska, and this did not suit Serbia politically at all. We would like to redirect the attention to the terror suffered by the Serbian people, which has intensified in the wake of this tragedy. I don’t wish to speculate about the role of foreign services. Belgrade is requesting an independent international inquiry about the events in Banjska. We are looking for the cause of the deaths and seeking justice for all those murdered. We have reason to believe that Priština is concealing evidence and manipulating facts. The families of those killed also have the right to know what happened. The global public should also know. If it’s true that Bojan Mijailović was executed by a headshot at close range after he had surrendered, and that the late Afrim Bunjaku was killed by an explosive device, then this sheds new light on these events. It is a pity that these things need to be discussed publicly in this way, rather than have prosecutors and judges dealing with it.”

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Petar Aleksić 

Bearing in mind that the events in Banjska aren’t at all favourable to Serbia, in your opinion, is there a single reason that Serbia, i.e. Belgrade, is behind it, and what would that reason be?

“Albin Kurti’s regime is by far the most, almost solely, responsible for the crisis in Kosovo & Metohija. He and his co-executors should also be held to account for creating an environment in which the Banjska tragedy occurred. I am entirely certain that they will be held accountable as time goes on. The values of Serbia and the Serbs in Kosovo & Metohija are not the values of violence, repression, and hatred. Since I’m speaking in general terms, let me add that I also believe that the Serbs in Kosovo & Metohija are a people who hold on to the traditions of St. Sava and are therefore a people of tolerance and love, who want to be independent.”

Although Serbia has condemned the murder of a member of the Kosovo Police Force, Priština has not said a word about the murders of at least three Serbs, who all had families. What is your view on that? What does that tell us?

“Kurti’s regime wants to see Kosovo & Metohija without Serbs. Everything they do they do to achieve that goal. I don’t expect humanity from such people. I am truly sorry about the death of Albanian police officer and about our multi-generational conflict in general. People like Kurti want to transfer the wars in their heads to the future generations. Kurti should never had sent his armed men to the north. Everyone knows very well what Article 9 of the Brussels Agreements says regarding the presence of the KPF in the North of Kosovo.”

Do you think that Priština can benefit from all this? Should our people in Kosovo & Metohija therefore be apprehensive in the coming period, given primarily the fact that they have already been suffering the terror of the Priština institutions, from before this event?

“Priština (i.e. Kurti – I don’t like using in a pejorative context the name of this city that is important to us) had been setting up this trap for a long time. Our people in Kosovo & Metohija have a seasoned and dedicated representative, as well as a protector in the strategic sense, in the form of Aleksandar Vučić. The unity and dedication of all of Serbia and its institutions to this question are necessary, however. There is a great difference between Serbia and the so-called independent Kosovo. With his entire establishment and partial international support, Kurti’s regime lives in a conflict with us 24/7. It a reality that we must accept, no matter how much we dislike it. And fight wisely and more strongly than ever. However, many people don’t like the idea that in order to deal with this issue, one also needs patience and wisdom and effort to improve the entire society. It’s much easier to look for a culprit.”

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Ambasada Srbije u Vašingtonu 

Many people have rushed to condemn Belgrade for declaring a day of mourning for the slain Serbs. What is your take on this?

“They should be ashamed of themselves.”

It has been confirmed that Milan Radoičić, the former Vice President of the Serb List, who has resigned from this post, took part in the conflict. He himself confirmed it on Friday.

“What’s important for the Serbian position is that President Aleksandar Vučić has said that everyone’s responsibility will be investigated on the Serbian side. No one must be above and beyond the law, and I really mean this, not as a phrase – this is where we stand or fall as a state. I want to share with you the truth no matter how dangerous and intense the persecution that is under way. As someone who led the dialogue for eight years and is familiar with the local situation and people, I absolutely cannot imagine that Milan Radoičić and other prominent Serbs from Kosovo & Metohija would consciously and intentionally jeopardize the Serbian interests or the lives of their fellow nationals and neighbours. I had been through thick and thin with them in Kosovo & Metohija, and I stand by this assessment. These people have fought for years for the survival of their people at a time and in circumstances that were nothing short of anomalous, whether through the institutions or at the barricades. I think it is responsible and honourable that Radoičić has taken responsibility and accepted to cooperate with the state authorities in establishing the truth!”

On talks with Priština

‘The sooner the dialogue starts, the better everyone will be’

Is there any point to expect any sort of continuation of the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština, and what can the Serbs expect from it?

“I believe that meetings will take place. However, as the tragic experience has taught us, meetings are not the same as dialogue, and still less understanding. It would be nice if the dialogue were to happen. We Serbs are always in favour of the dialogue. However, now there’s a hybrid attack against the Serbs in Kosovo & Metohija going on, as well as against Serbia, orchestrated by Kurti. The sooner the real dialogue starts, the better everyone will be.”

On the opposition’s call for a Kosovo session

‘Their basic knowledge of Kosovo is tragically rudimentary’

Part of the political opposition has rushed to request an urgent Parliament session on the events in Banjska. As the previous session, held at their initiative as well, ended up in a fiasco because of how they behaved, could a more constructive parliamentary dialogue be expected this time, or do you think it would just be wasting time?

“Very few people on the political scene have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the issue of Kosovo & Metohija. We can mostly hear slogans and phrases in party debates. Tragically rudimentary basic knowledge. If you were to conduct a survey among the MPs of some parties, often the most vocal critics, and ask them to name the leaders of the Kosovo parliamentary parties or geographic terms, the distribution of economic and natural resources, or at the very least all ten municipalities with the Serbian majority in Kosovo & Metohija, who we are dealing with would be clear as day. Many of them know only how to yell, point fingers, and look for culprits. This makes me sad. Serbia should unite regarding Kosovo & Metohija, at least when the situation is difficult. Together we could do anything.”

I. Žigić/