“Northern Kosovo Serbs could set up barricades”

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA Kosovska Mitrovica Mayor Krstimir Pantic says that Serbs could block roads and administrative crossings if they did not get the requested guarantees. “Barricades are possible but I honestly hope that it will not have to go that far,” he told Tanjug. “Northern Kosovo Serbs could set up barricades” He announced that representatives of four northern Kosovo municipalities would meet with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic on Tuesday. According to Pantic, Nikolic should hand them a signed technical protocol on the implementation of the integrated management of crossings and the municipal assemblies will then decide on further steps. He explained that northern Kosovo Serbs want guarantees that taxes for goods intended for the north will not be paid at the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings, that they will not have to take Kosovo Albanian documents and that the Pristina authorities will not seize their Serbian drivers licenses and license plates. “We want and we insist that these crossings are indeed administrative crossings and not borders like Albanians wish,” Pantic stressed. When it comes to the income from the customs duties, he said that there was a proposal to give the largest part of the money to the local self-governments in the north but that it was not yet clear whether it would go through the Kosovo budget or some other way. “It is unacceptable to us that the money goes into Kosovo’s budget because we would that way indirectly recognize the independence and that is why we demand that the details are precisely defined so they are not subject of abuse by Pristina,” the Kosovska Mitrovica mayor said. He added that northern Kosovo Serbs did not want any conflicts with the Serbian government but that they would use all democratic and legal means to express their disagreement with attempts to impose something that was not natural. “We will not resort to any violence in the attempt to achieve our interests. If our requests are met and we get written guarantees that this will be implemented, then I guess there will be no need to organize the people. If they are not met, the municipal assemblies will probably make a decision to express civil disobedience, boycott administrative crossings and call on the population to use alternative roads,” he pointed out. Pantic said that they had been informed at the first meeting with Nikolic and PM Ivica Dacic that the implementation of the crossings deal would begin on December 10 and that there was enough time to fix certain deficiencies in the agreement in order to make it acceptable for northern Kosovo Serbs. He expects head of the Belgrade team in the technical talks Dejan Pavicevic to reach an agreement on certain changes in Brussels by Tuesday. Pantic said he was sure that the Serbian government “will not punish Kosovo Serbs for showing legitimate resistance to something that is not natural and in the interest of Serbia”. “I am sure that the government and the president have some understanding and that there will not be differences between the government and Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija because we all have the same goal and that is to defend our state and national interests. We asked them at the Wednesday meeting to have understanding for our moves and we assured them that we will not do anything that would additionally jeopardize Serbia’s international positions and the EU pathway,” Pantic pointed out. According to him, Kosovo Albanians and a part of the international community that supports Kosovo’s independence will benefit from the incomplete agreement. “We justifiably fear that Albanians will say that they completed their statehood once the agreement has been implemented, that they have full control of all border crossings, as they claim, that they have institutions in all parts of the province and that they can get the international recognition,” Pantic said. He added that the northern Kosovo Serbs therefore insisted on precise definitions in the agreements. Pantic warned that the security situation in Kosovo was getting more complicated by the day and that incidents, especially in mixed neighborhoods, were happening more often. “All that is a consequence of pressures of Albanians who are aware that they cannot impose their will, institutions on Serbs and they are trying to change the citizens’ attitude with such pressures and violence and make Serbs accept Kosovo’s independence,” the Kosovska Mitrovica mayor stressed. He also criticized the international forces in Kosovo, saying they kept deploying troops to the administrative crossings while neglecting mixed neighborhoods. Commenting on the acquittal of former commander of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander Ramush Haradinaj, he said that this was a “verdict to the Serbian people living in Kosovo because it legalized the murders of Serbs from 1998 until today”. “In a way, this is a message to Serbs to accept Kosovo as independent or they will share the fate of more than a thousand Serbs who lost their lives,” Pantic concluded. Krstimir Pantic (Tanjug, file) Tanjug

“Northern Kosovo Serbs could set up barricades”

He announced that representatives of four northern Kosovo municipalities would meet with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić on Tuesday. According to Pantić, Nikolić should hand them a signed technical protocol on the implementation of the integrated management of crossings and the municipal assemblies will then decide on further steps.

He explained that northern Kosovo Serbs want guarantees that taxes for goods intended for the north will not be paid at the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings, that they will not have to take Kosovo Albanian documents and that the Priština authorities will not seize their Serbian drivers licenses and license plates.

“We want and we insist that these crossings are indeed administrative crossings and not borders like Albanians wish,” Pantić stressed.

When it comes to the income from the customs duties, he said that there was a proposal to give the largest part of the money to the local self-governments in the north but that it was not yet clear whether it would go through the Kosovo budget or some other way.

“It is unacceptable to us that the money goes into Kosovo’s budget because we would that way indirectly recognize the independence and that is why we demand that the details are precisely defined so they are not subject of abuse by Priština,” the Kosovska Mitrovica mayor said.

He added that northern Kosovo Serbs did not want any conflicts with the Serbian government but that they would use all democratic and legal means to express their disagreement with attempts to impose something that was not natural.

“We will not resort to any violence in the attempt to achieve our interests. If our requests are met and we get written guarantees that this will be implemented, then I guess there will be no need to organize the people. If they are not met, the municipal assemblies will probably make a decision to express civil disobedience, boycott administrative crossings and call on the population to use alternative roads,” he pointed out.

Pantić said that they had been informed at the first meeting with Nikolić and PM Ivica Dačić that the implementation of the crossings deal would begin on December 10 and that there was enough time to fix certain deficiencies in the agreement in order to make it acceptable for northern Kosovo Serbs.

He expects head of the Belgrade team in the technical talks Dejan Pavićević to reach an agreement on certain changes in Brussels by Tuesday.

Pantić said he was sure that the Serbian government “will not punish Kosovo Serbs for showing legitimate resistance to something that is not natural and in the interest of Serbia”.

“I am sure that the government and the president have some understanding and that there will not be differences between the government and Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija because we all have the same goal and that is to defend our state and national interests. We asked them at the Wednesday meeting to have understanding for our moves and we assured them that we will not do anything that would additionally jeopardize Serbia’s international positions and the EU pathway,” Pantić pointed out.

According to him, Kosovo Albanians and a part of the international community that supports Kosovo’s independence will benefit from the incomplete agreement.

“We justifiably fear that Albanians will say that they completed their statehood once the agreement has been implemented, that they have full control of all border crossings, as they claim, that they have institutions in all parts of the province and that they can get the international recognition,” Pantić said.

He added that the northern Kosovo Serbs therefore insisted on precise definitions in the agreements.

Pantić warned that the security situation in Kosovo was getting more complicated by the day and that incidents, especially in mixed neighborhoods, were happening more often.

“All that is a consequence of pressures of Albanians who are aware that they cannot impose their will, institutions on Serbs and they are trying to change the citizens’ attitude with such pressures and violence and make Serbs accept Kosovo’s independence,” the Kosovska Mitrovica mayor stressed.

He also criticized the international forces in Kosovo, saying they kept deploying troops to the administrative crossings while neglecting mixed neighborhoods.

Commenting on the acquittal of former commander of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander Ramush Haradinaj, he said that this was a “verdict to the Serbian people living in Kosovo because it legalized the murders of Serbs from 1998 until today”.

“In a way, this is a message to Serbs to accept Kosovo as independent or they will share the fate of more than a thousand Serbs who lost their lives,” Pantić concluded.