The head of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government, Petar Petkovic, said that the president of Serbia has asked the Serbs in the north of Kosovo to withdraw from the barricades.

He also said that this request was made after the statement issued by the United States and the European Union regarding the situation in the north of Kosovo.

“After these official statements [of the international community], the president [of Serbia, Aleksandar] Vucic, held a conversation for more than two hours with the Serbs of the north, and presented to them the contents of these documents and statements, showed them everything that we will benefit from and demanded that our people withdraw from the barricades,” said Petkovic during a press conference on December 28.

In addition, he said that they have received the “strongest possible” guarantees from the United States and the European Union, for the withdrawal of the Serbs from the barricades erected in the north of Kosovo.

“I am using the opportunity to share the good news that we have received the strongest guarantees possible from the US and the EU when it comes to the demands of the Serbs and their conditions to withdraw from the barricades,” said Petkovic.

Petkovic also described as good news, the change in Dejan Pantiq’s security measure, from detention to house arrest.

“It is a great victory, above all for the Serbian people in Kosovo”, he said.