Tadić reacts to crisis: Serbia will not go to war

Serbian President Boris Tadic addressed this afternoon the ongoing crisis in northern Kosovo to say that Serbia "will not go to war". Pristina's action was undertaken in order to establish control over the northern, Serb areas of Kosovo, according to Tadic. Tadic reacts to crisis: Serbia will not go to war Serbs there recognize neither the authority of the Kosovo Albanian government, nor the ethnic Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made over three years ago. After a tense night and day in the north, Tadic, who traveled to Prague this afternoon, said problems should be solved by diplomatic means. He also warned that "all those in the international community who may be encouraging the authorities in Pristina to embark on such activities are making a catastrophic mistake, exposing this part of Europe to immense risk". Tadic also noted that "unilateralism of any kind" was threatening to "completely derail the process of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina". The president said he spoke about this with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton this morning, to tell her that the developments "threatened to bring the process to an end even before it yielded palpable results". Meanwhile, Borislav Stefanovic, who represents the government in the Kosovo negotiations, was sent to the volatile north last night to try and defuse the tense situation. Stefanovic and Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic are at the Jarinje crossing this afternoon, along with local Serbs who are blocking roads in a bid to prevent the takeover of the checkpoint. The Serbian official addressed them by saying: "We are waiting to solve one last problem, and that is - you know who must sit in those booths over there." He was referring to the checkpoints that were prior to last night's incidents manned by EULEX, and Serbs employed by the KPS. Serbian officials are demanding that EULEX customs officers and KPS Serbs return to the boundary between Kosovo and central Serbia - as was the case until Monday. Around 16:45 CET today, citizens blocked the Jarinje exit road leading to the nearby town of Leposavic. They used an excavator, a fire department vehicle, and about one hundred private cars. When Stefanovic addressed them, there were about 100 people there, but Beta news agency says this number is constantly changing, as people continue to arrive from Leposavic. Boris Tadic (Tanjug, file) "Situation under control" The situation at two north Kosovo administrative line crossings is now stable and there are no incidents, a Serbian government official has said. Government Media Office chief Milivoje Mihajlovic told B92 on Tuesday in Belgrade that KFOR deployed its troops at both Jarinje and Brnjak, and that he believed the situation would "calm down completely during the day in other areas as well". As for the members of a Kosovo police, KPS, unit that late on Monday and today tried to take over the checkpoints in the Serb-dominated north, Mihajlovic said they were "headed back and were on their way to Pristina". "There's no reason to worry that something is happening at the administrative crossings," according to Mihajlovic. He described the Pristina government's attempt to take over the checkpoints as "pure adventurism of a part of the Pristina authorities", aimed at causing unrest among Serbs in Kosovo and forcing Belgrade to abandon the ongoing, EU-sponsored Kosovo dialogue. But Mihajlovic said that he believed Belgrade should not withdraw from the talks, and added that "dialogue was the only way to solve problems in Kosovo and Metohija".

Tadić reacts to crisis: Serbia will not go to war

Serbs there recognize neither the authority of the Kosovo Albanian government, nor the ethnic Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made over three years ago.

After a tense night and day in the north, Tadić, who traveled to Prague this afternoon, said problems should be solved by diplomatic means.

He also warned that "all those in the international community who may be encouraging the authorities in Priština to embark on such activities are making a catastrophic mistake, exposing this part of Europe to immense risk".

Tadić also noted that "unilateralism of any kind" was threatening to "completely derail the process of the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština".

The president said he spoke about this with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton this morning, to tell her that the developments "threatened to bring the process to an end even before it yielded palpable results".

Meanwhile, Borislav Stefanović, who represents the government in the Kosovo negotiations, was sent to the volatile north last night to try and defuse the tense situation.

Stefanović and Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanović are at the Jarinje crossing this afternoon, along with local Serbs who are blocking roads in a bid to prevent the takeover of the checkpoint.

The Serbian official addressed them by saying: "We are waiting to solve one last problem, and that is - you know who must sit in those booths over there."

He was referring to the checkpoints that were prior to last night's incidents manned by EULEX, and Serbs employed by the KPS.

Serbian officials are demanding that EULEX customs officers and KPS Serbs return to the boundary between Kosovo and central Serbia - as was the case until Monday.

Around 16:45 CET today, citizens blocked the Jarinje exit road leading to the nearby town of Leposavić. They used an excavator, a fire department vehicle, and about one hundred private cars.

When Stefanović addressed them, there were about 100 people there, but Beta news agency says this number is constantly changing, as people continue to arrive from Leposavić.

"Situation under control"

The situation at two north Kosovo administrative line crossings is now stable and there are no incidents, a Serbian government official has said.

Government Media Office chief Milivoje Mihajlović told B92 on Tuesday in Belgrade that KFOR deployed its troops at both Jarinje and Brnjak, and that he believed the situation would "calm down completely during the day in other areas as well".

As for the members of a Kosovo police, KPS, unit that late on Monday and today tried to take over the checkpoints in the Serb-dominated north, Mihajlović said they were "headed back and were on their way to Priština".

"There's no reason to worry that something is happening at the administrative crossings," according to Mihajlović.

He described the Priština government's attempt to take over the checkpoints as "pure adventurism of a part of the Priština authorities", aimed at causing unrest among Serbs in Kosovo and forcing Belgrade to abandon the ongoing, EU-sponsored Kosovo dialogue.

But Mihajlović said that he believed Belgrade should not withdraw from the talks, and added that "dialogue was the only way to solve problems in Kosovo and Metohija".