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 that have been set up for the past 19 days in northern Kosovo.

He 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], President Vucic held a conversation for more than two hours with the Serbs of the North and presented them with the contents of these documents and statements. He 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.

Petkovic also said that the representatives of the Serbs from Kosovo, who were in Belgrade, will return to Kosovo to talk with the Serbs who are at the barricades and after 19:00 they will meet with Vucic, on the territory of Serbia, where it will be understood what decision the northern Serbs have taken, regarding the issue of withdrawing from the barricades.

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 give the good news that we have received the strongest guarantees ever 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.