Belgrade waiting for answer from Brussels, says team chief

Belgrade team head Borislav Stefanovic said Belgrade was waiting for an answer from Brussels to the initiative for solving the problems at the two checkpoints. He noted that the current highly-charged situation in northern Kosovo was not an atmosphere conducive to continuing the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. Belgrade waiting for answer from Brussels, says team chief The team chief explained that Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and a part of the international community were trying to implement the agreement reached on September 2 in Brussels the way it suited them. “The agreement contains three sentences, it refers only to the stamp and the accompanying documentation,” he said, adding that administrative checkpoints had not been discussed because Pristina had refused to. Stefanovic believes that a solution for the administrative crossings should be found through dialogue in order to establish flow of goods, but that it is unacceptable to have Kosovo customs officers at the two checkpoints. He repeated that the six-point agreement reached with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon “decidedly reads that the Jarinje and Brnjak are special due to specificity of the terrain and only international forces can be there”. “This is an abuse of the agreement because Thaci had a need to establish sovereignty through institutions, regardless of whether or not it would work,” the Belgrade team chief pointed out. He noted that the Kosovo prime minister and a part of the international community expected to achieve their goal to make Serbs accept the situation just like it had been done in southern Kosovo by “exhausting Serbs”, but added that it would never happen. “They have created an incredible illusion and two isolated islands of 200 square meters of Hashim Thaci’s illusion that he can control something here,” Stefanovic said and added that the situation was unsustainable and that it was necessary to find a compromise. “It is not a compromise that Pristina’s organs are there, as it is envisaged by the unilateral move,” he explained. “KFOR does not want to be on the front line because they are aware that it is a direct violation of their mandate and Pristina put EULEX in a situation to violate the mandate,” he stressed, adding that Serbs did not protest against Albanians, but against Pristina’s institutions which were illegally established. "Belgrade's proposal does not include the presence of Kosovo customs and police officers in any element," Stefanovic said, repeating that Kosovo customs officers had never been posted at Jarinje and Brnjak in the past. "We are committed to the dialogue as the only way to solve problems" he told reporters, adding that Serbia was now waiting for a positive answer from Brussels "and a chance to finally solve the Jarinje and Brnjak issue in a mutually acceptable way." "We are prepared to wait... there is no need to stick to deadlines," the team chief stressed. He said it was positive the agreement Belgrade and Pristina reached in early September during the last round of talks in Brussels on the appearance of the customs stamp was now making passage of Serbian goods possible. "This is a positive trend and it enables full supply so that our citizens south of the Ibar River are not affected," he pointed out Stefanovic, however, said it was impossible to continue the dialogue with Pristina and discuss electric energy and telecommunications at a time when "we have such a highly-charged situation, barricades and people determined to stand by their legitimate requests." "The situation in northern Kosovo is peaceful, people have fortified the barricades and they are preserving their peaceful resistance to the unilateral attempt to impose so-called Kosovo customs officers at the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative crossings," Stefanovic concluded. Borislav Stefanovic is seen with northern Kosovo Serbs (Tanjug)

Belgrade waiting for answer from Brussels, says team chief

The team chief explained that Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and a part of the international community were trying to implement the agreement reached on September 2 in Brussels the way it suited them.

“The agreement contains three sentences, it refers only to the stamp and the accompanying documentation,” he said, adding that administrative checkpoints had not been discussed because Priština had refused to.

Stefanović believes that a solution for the administrative crossings should be found through dialogue in order to establish flow of goods, but that it is unacceptable to have Kosovo customs officers at the two checkpoints.

He repeated that the six-point agreement reached with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon “decidedly reads that the Jarinje and Brnjak are special due to specificity of the terrain and only international forces can be there”.

“This is an abuse of the agreement because Thaci had a need to establish sovereignty through institutions, regardless of whether or not it would work,” the Belgrade team chief pointed out.

He noted that the Kosovo prime minister and a part of the international community expected to achieve their goal to make Serbs accept the situation just like it had been done in southern Kosovo by “exhausting Serbs”, but added that it would never happen.

“They have created an incredible illusion and two isolated islands of 200 square meters of Hashim Thaci’s illusion that he can control something here,” Stefanović said and added that the situation was unsustainable and that it was necessary to find a compromise.

“It is not a compromise that Priština’s organs are there, as it is envisaged by the unilateral move,” he explained.

“KFOR does not want to be on the front line because they are aware that it is a direct violation of their mandate and Priština put EULEX in a situation to violate the mandate,” he stressed, adding that Serbs did not protest against Albanians, but against Priština’s institutions which were illegally established.

"Belgrade's proposal does not include the presence of Kosovo customs and police officers in any element," Stefanović said, repeating that Kosovo customs officers had never been posted at Jarinje and Brnjak in the past.

"We are committed to the dialogue as the only way to solve problems" he told reporters, adding that Serbia was now waiting for a positive answer from Brussels "and a chance to finally solve the Jarinje and Brnjak issue in a mutually acceptable way."

"We are prepared to wait... there is no need to stick to deadlines," the team chief stressed.

He said it was positive the agreement Belgrade and Priština reached in early September during the last round of talks in Brussels on the appearance of the customs stamp was now making passage of Serbian goods possible.

"This is a positive trend and it enables full supply so that our citizens south of the Ibar River are not affected," he pointed out

Stefanović, however, said it was impossible to continue the dialogue with Priština and discuss electric energy and telecommunications at a time when "we have such a highly-charged situation, barricades and people determined to stand by their legitimate requests."

"The situation in northern Kosovo is peaceful, people have fortified the barricades and they are preserving their peaceful resistance to the unilateral attempt to impose so-called Kosovo customs officers at the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative crossings," Stefanović concluded.