"Serbs won't return to Kosovo institutions"

"Serbs won't return to Kosovo institutions"

Djuric made the announcement after a meeting with representatives of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija, which he attended along with Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic.

He stressed that within a week, "an urgent session" will be held with representatives of all Serb municipalities, to consider the next steps after the removal of Aleksandar Jablanovic from the Kosovo government, and after "the political humiliation of the Serb people."

"We did not join the government to serve as decoration and will not be taking part for as long as someone thinks we should be merely decoration," Djuric said.

He also announced that Serb representatives would once a month hold meetings with the prime minister and representatives of his office in Belgrade.

Djuric said that during the meeting today, attended by Vucic, representatives of Serbs from the provincial assembly agreed to, "following the advice of Oliver Ivanovic," call a meeting of all Serb municipalities and consider their next steps after the sacking of Jablanovic.

Asked whether this join session was "a favorable moment to form the community of Serb municipalities," Djuric said that representatives of Serbs and the Serbian government should "create events on the ground, and consider their formalization later."

"When you look at the conclusions of today's meetings, you will get a clear answer as to the direction in which things have been developing," he said.

According to the Kosovo Office chief, it has been concluded "not to allow Albanian political parties in Kosovo to avoid the obligations they took on before forming a coalition with the Serb List," and that Serb political representatives in Kosovo will "develop" all steps aimed at improving the lives of Serbs in cooperation with the Serbian government.

Serb List President Aleksandar Jablanovic said that Serbs representatives from Kosovo "should change nothing in their work, but only stand more united in their positions."

"Our ideas and vocabulary that was appropriate at all times, will not change. My measured statements concerning the attack on returnees in Djakovica was used as a reason to dismiss me, although it was essentially meant as a warning to Serbs," he said, and added that Serbs in the province would not benefit from his return to the Kosovo government.

Jablanovic added that there was "no blackmail from Pristina" concerning the possibility of him rejoining the government.

"Albanians did not elect us, so they could not blackmail us," he said.

Jablanovic was sacked saying that those ethnic Albanians who attacked Serb returnees in Djakovica with rocks on Christmas Eve were "savages." The government in Pristina said that his statement insulted the whole Albanian community and the families of the victims. Jablanovic reiterated that he had only those who used rocks to attack the returnees in mind.

After addressing reporters today, Djuric and Vucic continued their meeting with representatives of Serbs in Kosovo.