Minister for Kosovo calls on EULEX to react

Kosovo police, KPS, today stopped several Serbian officials traveling in Kosovo, said reports. Ministry of Kosovo State Secretary Oliver Ivanovic was stopped twice on his way to the Serb village of Priluzje, where Day of the Temple is marked this Thursday. Minister for Kosovo calls on EULEX to react Assistant Minister for Kosovo Dragan Petkovic was also briefly prevented from continuing his trip, once he entered Kosovo at the Merdare administrative line checkpoint. However, both Ivanovic and Petkovic in the end proceeded toward their destination. Kosovska-Mitrovica District chief Radenko Nedeljkovic, however, was "turned back to northern Kosovska Mitrovica", from the ethnic Albanian-controlled, southern part of the divided northern Kosovo town. Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic canceled his trip planned for today, said reports. Previously, Bogdanovic said the time was high for the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, to "react". His comments came after media in Pristina reported that the Kosovo Albanian government had "banned" him, and other officials, from entering Kosovo. Bogdanovic said EULEX should prevent Pristina's irrational behavior and "let it know once and for all that it is the cause and source of all tensions", and wondered "how many provocations will it take before the international community reacts". The minister noted that he and his family live in Kosovo, and that "Pristina's behavior is unacceptable," and consistent with its "well-know manner of constant causing of tensions, conflict and provocation". "I will come and go, and if there's any incident of any kind, EULEX will be responsible, since they have to secure the visits of Serbian politicians to the province," said Bogdanovic. "My visits to Kosovo and Metohija have always been with the goal of peaceful resolution of problems, appeals to dialogue, compromise and reconciliation of (ethnic) Albanians and Serbs," said he. Bogdanovic was planning to visit the village of Priluzje on Thursday, to open a new kindergarten. He accused Pristina of being opposed to the Serb areas of Kosovo receiving better living conditions, and to the creation of conditions for the Serbs to stay and survive there. "Why did not Hashim Thaci use his position of the Kosovo premier and his influence, which he obviously has among Kosovo Albanians, to finally discover who murdered (Serb) children in Gorazdevac, harvesters in Staro Gracko, and to enable for the return of the exiled Serbs in Djakovica, Pec and other areas, which is being prevented by local Albanian communities," Bogdanovic was quoted as saying. Meantime in Pristina, EULEX said that it was "not included in the procedure of realization of the Serbian officials' visits to Kosovo", nor in Thaci's "decision to suspend" those visits. The mission's spokeswoman Irina Gudeljevic told reports that "requests for Serb officials go via the EU high representative in Belgrade, to the special EU representative in Pristina, who informs the Kosovo government. After it makes a decision, the information goes back the same way". The office of the EU special representative in Kosovo, Pieter Feith, would not comment on the Thaci letter, and said it was "the exclusive right of the government of Kosovo to allow or prevent the visits", reported the Albanian language media, and said that the job of the office was to "facilitate organization of the visits". Goran Bogdanovic (FoNet, file) "KPS in charge of protecting visiting officials" EULEX Deputy Head Roy Reeve said Thursday that the EU mission will not get involved in the issue which has arisen between Belgrade and Pristina in relation to the visits of Serbian officials to Kosovo, and that the Kosovo police is responsible for their security during their stay in the province. In a statement with Tanjug, Reeve explained that the issue is not the business of EULEX but of the Belgrade and Pristina governments, which communicate through the office of EU Special Representative Pieter Feith. It is in our interest that unrest and provocations do not occur, because the Kosovo Police Service is in charge of the security detail for visiting officials, Reeve said. Reeve said that no one can prevent Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanovic and State Secretary with the same ministry Oliver Ivanovic from visiting family in northern Kosovo. "A problem arises only when they come as a minister or a state secretary, when they visit enclaves on certain religious holidays or for certain meetings," Reeve said.

Minister for Kosovo calls on EULEX to react

Assistant Minister for Kosovo Dragan Petković was also briefly prevented from continuing his trip, once he entered Kosovo at the Merdare administrative line checkpoint.

However, both Ivanović and Petković in the end proceeded toward their destination.

Kosovska-Mitrovica District chief Radenko Nedeljković, however, was "turned back to northern Kosovska Mitrovica", from the ethnic Albanian-controlled, southern part of the divided northern Kosovo town.

Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanović canceled his trip planned for today, said reports.

Previously, Bogdanović said the time was high for the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, to "react".

His comments came after media in Priština reported that the Kosovo Albanian government had "banned" him, and other officials, from entering Kosovo.

Bogdanović said EULEX should prevent Priština's irrational behavior and "let it know once and for all that it is the cause and source of all tensions", and wondered "how many provocations will it take before the international community reacts".

The minister noted that he and his family live in Kosovo, and that "Priština's behavior is unacceptable," and consistent with its "well-know manner of constant causing of tensions, conflict and provocation".

"I will come and go, and if there's any incident of any kind, EULEX will be responsible, since they have to secure the visits of Serbian politicians to the province," said Bogdanović.

"My visits to Kosovo and Metohija have always been with the goal of peaceful resolution of problems, appeals to dialogue, compromise and reconciliation of (ethnic) Albanians and Serbs," said he.

Bogdanović was planning to visit the village of Prilužje on Thursday, to open a new kindergarten.

He accused Priština of being opposed to the Serb areas of Kosovo receiving better living conditions, and to the creation of conditions for the Serbs to stay and survive there.

"Why did not Hashim Thaci use his position of the Kosovo premier and his influence, which he obviously has among Kosovo Albanians, to finally discover who murdered (Serb) children in Goraždevac, harvesters in Staro Gracko, and to enable for the return of the exiled Serbs in Đakovica, Peć and other areas, which is being prevented by local Albanian communities," Bogdanović was quoted as saying.

Meantime in Priština, EULEX said that it was "not included in the procedure of realization of the Serbian officials' visits to Kosovo", nor in Thaci's "decision to suspend" those visits.

The mission's spokeswoman Irina Gudeljević told reports that "requests for Serb officials go via the EU high representative in Belgrade, to the special EU representative in Priština, who informs the Kosovo government. After it makes a decision, the information goes back the same way".

The office of the EU special representative in Kosovo, Pieter Feith, would not comment on the Thaci letter, and said it was "the exclusive right of the government of Kosovo to allow or prevent the visits", reported the Albanian language media, and said that the job of the office was to "facilitate organization of the visits".

"KPS in charge of protecting visiting officials"

EULEX Deputy Head Roy Reeve said Thursday that the EU mission will not get involved in the issue which has arisen between Belgrade and Priština in relation to the visits of Serbian officials to Kosovo, and that the Kosovo police is responsible for their security during their stay in the province.

In a statement with Tanjug, Reeve explained that the issue is not the business of EULEX but of the Belgrade and Pristina governments, which communicate through the office of EU Special Representative Pieter Feith.

It is in our interest that unrest and provocations do not occur, because the Kosovo Police Service is in charge of the security detail for visiting officials, Reeve said.

Reeve said that no one can prevent Serbian Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanović and State Secretary with the same ministry Oliver Ivanović from visiting family in northern Kosovo.

"A problem arises only when they come as a minister or a state secretary, when they visit enclaves on certain religious holidays or for certain meetings," Reeve said.