Serbian president: Will not allow persecution, killing of our people in Kosovo

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Serbia will not allow the persecution and killing of its people, said President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday.

Vucic's remarks came after a meeting with Serb representatives from Kosovo in the capital Belgrade just as Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti refused to extend a 10-month deadline for ethnic Serbs in Kosovo to switch their Serb car license plates to local ones.

Vucic promised the visiting delegation that Serbia would not allow the persecution and killing of ethnic Serbs in Kosovo.

"Threats by Pristina that they will continue with the implementation of the action, which should show their firmness and strength, completely threaten the stability, peace and survival of our people in Kosovo and Metohija," said Vucic.

This summer Kosovo narrowly averted a crisis over the issue of license plates and IDs.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, with most UN member states, including the US, UK, France, Germany and Türkiye, recognizing it as a separate autonomous country.

Serbia, however, continues to claim Kosovo as its territory.