“Feith abusing double office”

Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic says EU's representative Pieter Feith “did not speak as an EU official” when he predicted new recognitions of Kosovo. Feith, who also heads the International Civilian Office (ICO) in Pristina, said in Brussels on Tuesday that after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivers its opinion on the legality of the unilateral independence declaration, new recognitions would follow. “Feith abusing double office” Bogdanovic said that statement, amounted to “speaking as a lobbyist in favor of Kosovo's independence”. "Feith's statements have to be viewed while keeping in mind an old problem, that of his double office. It is a fact that he has been abusing that double role in a most calculated way, so that one could never tell if he was speaking as an EU official or as the head of the International Civilian Office in Kosovo," Bogdanovic told Tanjug. According to the minister, Feith is pressuring the ICJ by predicting that the court's decision will change nothing when it comes to Kosovo's status. "There should be no illusions that the ICJ will be spared from far more serious political pressures than this Feith's attempt. However, I believe that the decision by the ICJ will be in accordance with international law and will not be negative for Serbia. Also, I am convinced that it will help start new negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina regarding Kosovo's status, because the current status suits no one," said Bogdanovic. Feith told a news conference in Brussels on Tuesday that the ICJ opinion would probably lead to a new wave of recognitions of Kosovo's independence. Feith spoke about the latest political events in Kosovo with EULEX chief Yves de Kermabon, stressing that he “spoke for the countries that have recognized Kosovo”, and that the ICJ opinion would “provide a level of comfort to Serbia and some support for Kosovo”. Goran Bogdanovic (FoNet, file) On sacred places Bogdanovic said on Thursday that only KFOR can protect the Serb holy sites in Kosovo and that the protection of monasteries cannot be put into the hands of the Kosovo police (KPS), who silently watched their desecration and torching in the 2004 unrest. “It is absolutely unacceptable that KPS protect the Serb holy places, as KFOR is the only armed force in the province that can prevent ethnic conflicts and preserve the Serb monasteries and cultural-historical monuments,” Bogdanovic told state broadcaster RTS. According to him, the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Diocese of Raska and Prizren has warned that KFOR is planning to entrust the care of the monasteries to KPS. Recalling that “in the past ten years, the so-called (ethnic) Albanian authorities are doing everything they can to present the cultural heritage of the Serbian people in Kosovo 'as their very own',” Bogdanovic said that “the only ones we trust there (in Kosovo) is KFOR, which for the past 10 years proved to be an impartial armed force”. “In the past few days, we had contacts with representatives of KFOR, and we agreed to continue the dialogue and come to a compromise solution, which should meet the needs of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija,” Bogdanovic said. According to him, the recent announcement of a possible reduction of KFOR troops is yet another reason for concern, because the situation in Kosovo is still not working out the way the countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence wish to present it. “We insist that the number of KFOR troops should remain the same as a year ago, because the situation in some parts of Kosovo and Metohija is still unsafe, especially in Metohija and the eastern part, where conflicts on ethnic grounds are still taking place, and we believe that KFOR is the only organization besides EULEX and UNMIK that can prevent this and contribute to reconciliation between (ethnic) Albanians and Serbs,” said Bogdanovic.

“Feith abusing double office”

Bogdanović said that statement, amounted to “speaking as a lobbyist in favor of Kosovo's independence”.

"Feith's statements have to be viewed while keeping in mind an old problem, that of his double office. It is a fact that he has been abusing that double role in a most calculated way, so that one could never tell if he was speaking as an EU official or as the head of the International Civilian Office in Kosovo," Bogdanović told Tanjug.

According to the minister, Feith is pressuring the ICJ by predicting that the court's decision will change nothing when it comes to Kosovo's status.

"There should be no illusions that the ICJ will be spared from far more serious political pressures than this Feith's attempt. However, I believe that the decision by the ICJ will be in accordance with international law and will not be negative for Serbia. Also, I am convinced that it will help start new negotiations between Belgrade and Priština regarding Kosovo's status, because the current status suits no one," said Bogdanović.

Feith told a news conference in Brussels on Tuesday that the ICJ opinion would probably lead to a new wave of recognitions of Kosovo's independence.

Feith spoke about the latest political events in Kosovo with EULEX chief Yves de Kermabon, stressing that he “spoke for the countries that have recognized Kosovo”, and that the ICJ opinion would “provide a level of comfort to Serbia and some support for Kosovo”.

On sacred places

Bogdanović said on Thursday that only KFOR can protect the Serb holy sites in Kosovo and that the protection of monasteries cannot be put into the hands of the Kosovo police (KPS), who silently watched their desecration and torching in the 2004 unrest.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that KPS protect the Serb holy places, as KFOR is the only armed force in the province that can prevent ethnic conflicts and preserve the Serb monasteries and cultural-historical monuments,” Bogdanović told state broadcaster RTS.

According to him, the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Diocese of Raška and Prizren has warned that KFOR is planning to entrust the care of the monasteries to KPS.

Recalling that “in the past ten years, the so-called (ethnic) Albanian authorities are doing everything they can to present the cultural heritage of the Serbian people in Kosovo 'as their very own',” Bogdanović said that “the only ones we trust there (in Kosovo) is KFOR, which for the past 10 years proved to be an impartial armed force”.

“In the past few days, we had contacts with representatives of KFOR, and we agreed to continue the dialogue and come to a compromise solution, which should meet the needs of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija,” Bogdanović said.

According to him, the recent announcement of a possible reduction of KFOR troops is yet another reason for concern, because the situation in Kosovo is still not working out the way the countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence wish to present it.

“We insist that the number of KFOR troops should remain the same as a year ago, because the situation in some parts of Kosovo and Metohija is still unsafe, especially in Metohija and the eastern part, where conflicts on ethnic grounds are still taking place, and we believe that KFOR is the only organization besides EULEX and UNMIK that can prevent this and contribute to reconciliation between (ethnic) Albanians and Serbs,” said Bogdanović.