Serbian officials call on KFOR to respect agreement

Serbian officials today in Kosovo called on KFOR to restore the previous arrangement at administrative checkpoints of Jarinje in Brnjak in the Serb north. Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic and Kosovo dialogue Belgrade team chief Borislav Stefanovic referred to KFOR commander Erhard Buehler when they spoke in the village of Zupce. Serbian officials call on KFOR to respect agreement Local Serbs there have been blocking traffic in protest on the Pristina-Ribarice road leading to Brnjak. Stefanovic stressed that KFOR violated an agreement reached on Tuesday, and that the condition was for the two administrative line checkpoints to be managed as was the case before the Kosovo police, KPS, tried to use its Rosu unit to take them over three days ago. "The situation on the Brnjak and Jarinje crossings must be as it was before. What they have done at Brnjak is an attempt to install the institutions of Pristina on this crossing which they refer to as a 'border' crossing. It is not, and it never will be. They wish to do the same at Jarinje," he warned. Stefanovic emphasized that the only way to solve the problem was for those who entered the checkpoint outside of the agreement, illegally, in order to unilaterally change the situation on the ground and thus prejudice the outcome of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue - to leave there as soon as possible. The Serbian official told the local Serbs gathered to hear him that both Bogdanovic and himself demanded from the KFOR commander that the Kosovo customs workers and border police vacate the checkpoint facilities as soon as possible. "If this does not happen, we will all stay here together," Stefanovic said, and warned that the situation was "serious". Goran Bogdanovic also addressed the Serbs to tell them that the state will never abandon them or allow for "anyone to unilaterally change the reality and the situation on the ground". "We will stand with you and we are firm in our determination to defend what's ours. We are not asking for what belongs to others, we are defending our own, and we must be persistent and firm in that," said the minister. He added that he will continue his talks with KFOR's representatives, because they were an "organization" deployed in the province in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244. But Bogdanovic noted that KFOR "seems to be ready to violate that resolution at this point". The minister however expressed his belief that the situation at the two checkpoints would be restored to how it was three days ago. Serb members of the KPS and EULEX customs were previously in charge at the administrative line. "We will not give up on that goal, and let nobody doubt that," was Bogdanovic's message. Bogdanovic and Stefanovic were accompanied by SPC Bishop Teodosije, the head of the Kosovska Mitorovica District, and mayors of Serb towns in northern Kosovo. Close to where the Serbs blocked the roads is a Portuguese KFOR unit, while the Kosovo Albanian customs officers moved their static booth "somewhat closer to the southern (ethnic Albanian) part of Kosovska Mitrovica", reported Tanjug news agency. Meanwhile Beta's reporter at Brnjak said that 15 ethnic Albanians, members of the "Kosovo customs and border police" were flown in this morning by helicopter. They told reporters that they were in the area of the town of Djakovica when they were ordered to leave, without being told where they were headed. They added they were "scared", and that they thought they were being taken to a crossing in an ethnic Albanian area. There are also Serb members of the KPS at Brnjak, regulating traffic and performing other duties, said the news agency. Erhard Buehler, Borislav Stefanovic in Zvecan (Tanjug)

Serbian officials call on KFOR to respect agreement

Local Serbs there have been blocking traffic in protest on the Priština-Ribariće road leading to Brnjak.

Stefanović stressed that KFOR violated an agreement reached on Tuesday, and that the condition was for the two administrative line checkpoints to be managed as was the case before the Kosovo police, KPS, tried to use its Rosu unit to take them over three days ago.

"The situation on the Brnjak and Jarinje crossings must be as it was before. What they have done at Brnjak is an attempt to install the institutions of Priština on this crossing which they refer to as a 'border' crossing. It is not, and it never will be. They wish to do the same at Jarinje," he warned.

Stefanović emphasized that the only way to solve the problem was for those who entered the checkpoint outside of the agreement, illegally, in order to unilaterally change the situation on the ground and thus prejudice the outcome of the Belgrade-Priština dialogue - to leave there as soon as possible.

The Serbian official told the local Serbs gathered to hear him that both Bogdanović and himself demanded from the KFOR commander that the Kosovo customs workers and border police vacate the checkpoint facilities as soon as possible.

"If this does not happen, we will all stay here together," Stefanović said, and warned that the situation was "serious".

Goran Bogdanović also addressed the Serbs to tell them that the state will never abandon them or allow for "anyone to unilaterally change the reality and the situation on the ground".

"We will stand with you and we are firm in our determination to defend what's ours. We are not asking for what belongs to others, we are defending our own, and we must be persistent and firm in that," said the minister.

He added that he will continue his talks with KFOR's representatives, because they were an "organization" deployed in the province in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

But Bogdanović noted that KFOR "seems to be ready to violate that resolution at this point".

The minister however expressed his belief that the situation at the two checkpoints would be restored to how it was three days ago.

Serb members of the KPS and EULEX customs were previously in charge at the administrative line.

"We will not give up on that goal, and let nobody doubt that," was Bogdanović's message.

Bogdanović and Stefanović were accompanied by SPC Bishop Teodosije, the head of the Kosovska Mitorovica District, and mayors of Serb towns in northern Kosovo.

Close to where the Serbs blocked the roads is a Portuguese KFOR unit, while the Kosovo Albanian customs officers moved their static booth "somewhat closer to the southern (ethnic Albanian) part of Kosovska Mitrovica", reported Tanjug news agency.

Meanwhile Beta's reporter at Brnjak said that 15 ethnic Albanians, members of the "Kosovo customs and border police" were flown in this morning by helicopter.

They told reporters that they were in the area of the town of Đakovica when they were ordered to leave, without being told where they were headed.

They added they were "scared", and that they thought they were being taken to a crossing in an ethnic Albanian area.

There are also Serb members of the KPS at Brnjak, regulating traffic and performing other duties, said the news agency.