Đurić confers with Ambassador Bocan-Kharchenko: Immediate release of Popović remains a top priority

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Marko Đurić, met today with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Serbia, H.E. Alexander Bocan-Kharchenko, to brief him on the latest developments in Kosovo and Metohija and to underline the significance Serbia attaches to the unfounded and unlawful arrest of Igor Popović, Assistant Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Priština.

“The arrest of Igor Popović represents not only a flagrant violation of fundamental human rights and legal procedures, but also a case of political persecution and a continuation of a broader campaign of intimidation, humiliation, and pressure targeting the Serbian people in the province—particularly intensified over the past three years,” Minister Đurić stressed.

Explaining that Popović, an official of the Republic of Serbia and a member of the Negotiating Team in the EU-facilitated dialogue, was detained solely because the regime of Albin Kurti was provoked by the truth spoken during a commemorative event in Orahovac, Minister Đurić recalled that the very statements made by Popović have been echoed at the international level, including in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1160 (1998).

“Our primary objective in this matter is to secure his immediate release and safe return home. The competent authorities of the Republic of Serbia will undertake all available political and legal actions against those responsible, while firmly upholding peace and stability,” the Minister underscored.

Minister Đurić once again conveyed Serbia’s deep appreciation to the Russian Federation for its firm and principled position in support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia, its understanding of the difficult circumstances facing Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, and for its longstanding support in international forums on these issues.