Northern Kosovo Serbs demand written guarantees

JARINJE Northern Kosovo Serbs have said they demand written guarantees from Belgrade officials regarding the agreement on the integrated crossings management. They spent last night at the Jarinje administrative crossing where they blocked construction works. Northern Kosovo Serbs demand written guarantees They blocked the construction works on Tuesday morning in order to “prevent setting up of borders with central Serbia”. “Mayors of four northern Kosovo municipalities stand united in the belief that protests at Jarinje should continue until written guarantees are issued regarding the definition of an integrated crossing,” said Leposavic Mayor Dragisa Vasic, adding that the guarantees had been discussed at a recent meeting between representatives of the local self-governments and Prime Minster Ivica Dacic. “We need both oral and written guarantees so that we could be sure what integrated crossing means in terms of IDs, licence plates and customs services,” Vasic said. Vasic noted that Serbs expected government representatives, primarily the head of the negotiating team in the Belgrade-Pristina Dejan Pavicevic and Office for Kosovo Director Aleksandar Vulin, to inform them about the situation during the talks regarding the implementation of the integrated crossings. The situation at the crossing is peaceful. The citizens keep watch around campfires and in cars parked alongside the road. The traffic has not been blocked and vehicles are waiting around half an hour to cross the administrative line because KFOR and EULEX are performing detailed inspection of vehicles and passengers. Local officials from Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic and the Kosovska Mitrovica District head have joined the citizens at the crossing. Northern Kosovo Serbs say they will not leave until they get guarantees that there will be no border with central Serbia and that their Serbian documents will still be valid. The mayors of the four northern Kosovo towns sent a letter to Nikolic and Dacic on Tuesday night, asking them to “find a way and time to inform the citizens about details of all agreements reached by Serbian and Kosovo negotiators in Brussels”. Northern Kosovo Serbs expect a government representative to address them today. They rejected a proposal of the Interior Ministry’s representative to move so construction workers could continue their work. Dacic met with Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton in Brussels on Tuesday. Ashton said that it was agreed that a trial implementation of the agreement on the integrated crossings management would begin on December 10. Dacic said that the agreement on the implementation of the crossings agreement had been reached and that four crossings would be opened by the end of the year. (Beta/AP) Beta

Northern Kosovo Serbs demand written guarantees

They blocked the construction works on Tuesday morning in order to “prevent setting up of borders with central Serbia”.

“Mayors of four northern Kosovo municipalities stand united in the belief that protests at Jarinje should continue until written guarantees are issued regarding the definition of an integrated crossing,” said Leposavić Mayor Dragiša Vasić, adding that the guarantees had been discussed at a recent meeting between representatives of the local self-governments and Prime Minster Ivica Dačić.

“We need both oral and written guarantees so that we could be sure what integrated crossing means in terms of IDs, licence plates and customs services,” Vasic said.

Vasić noted that Serbs expected government representatives, primarily the head of the negotiating team in the Belgrade-Priština Dejan Pavićević and Office for Kosovo Director Aleksandar Vulin, to inform them about the situation during the talks regarding the implementation of the integrated crossings.

The situation at the crossing is peaceful. The citizens keep watch around campfires and in cars parked alongside the road.

The traffic has not been blocked and vehicles are waiting around half an hour to cross the administrative line because KFOR and EULEX are performing detailed inspection of vehicles and passengers.

Local officials from Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvečan, Zubin Potok and Leposavić and the Kosovska Mitrovica District head have joined the citizens at the crossing.

Northern Kosovo Serbs say they will not leave until they get guarantees that there will be no border with central Serbia and that their Serbian documents will still be valid.

The mayors of the four northern Kosovo towns sent a letter to Nikolić and Dačić on Tuesday night, asking them to “find a way and time to inform the citizens about details of all agreements reached by Serbian and Kosovo negotiators in Brussels”.

Northern Kosovo Serbs expect a government representative to address them today. They rejected a proposal of the Interior Ministry’s representative to move so construction workers could continue their work.

Dačić met with Kosovo PM Hashim Thaci and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton in Brussels on Tuesday. Ashton said that it was agreed that a trial implementation of the agreement on the integrated crossings management would begin on December 10.

Dačić said that the agreement on the implementation of the crossings agreement had been reached and that four crossings would be opened by the end of the year.