Kosovo office chief: We're not asking for another RS

PRIZREN Aleksandar Vulin stated on Wednesday that Serbia was "not asking for an entity such as the Serb Republic (RS)" to be formed in Kosovo. Serbia "simply supports the constitution of an association (of Serb municipalities) that would have the authorities, control and influence over the judiciary, police, education and all aspects important for the life of citizens", said the director of the government Office for Kosovo and Metohija. Kosovo office chief: We're not asking for another RS On Wednesday, Vulin visited the Prizren Theological Seminary and Milica Djordjevic, the only Serb primary school pupil in the city. “This is not the RS, we do not want foreign affairs, army and all that the RS had according to the Dayton Agreement,” Vulin said in Prizren, southern Kosovo, and added that Serbia wants Serbs in the province "to be able to live safely and in the way they want". These statements came a day after U.S. Ambassador in Belgrade Michael Kirby said that his country "does not want" a new RS in Kosovo because the model "did not turn out to be a good solution" for the development of Bosnia-Herzegovina. “Do not blame us for the RS, you made it yourselves. Do not be dissatisfied with your own work and do not prevent our attempts to help people living in Kosovo and Metohija,” Vulin said in his reaction. On Tuesday, Belgrade-based daily Blic wrote that of the five so-called Quint countries - who recognize and support Kosovo as independent - only the United States were opposed to Serbia's proposal to establish an alliance of Serb municipalities in Kosovo. A round of the Kosovo talks in Brussels earlier this week ended without success as Belgrade and Pristina failed to agree on this point. Goranis "stand with Serbia" Aleksandar Vulin informed the municipal leadership of in the Gora region on Wednesday that the Belgrade delegation requested in Brussels that the issue of the Gorani ethnic minority should be resolved together with other municipalities in Kosovo where Serbs constitute a majority population. “I won the support of Gora's representatives for this and the Goranis want to stay where they always were, with Serbia as the country they did not abandon even during the most difficult times,” Vulin said. In the village of Vraniste in the Gora municipality, Vulin told the Goranis that the government will not stop caring for them and that it would stay with its people. “The Goranis were often exposed to attempts of assimilation and many are trying to deny them the right to the Gorani identity and existence as such,” Vulin said and added that Gora and the Goranis were mentioned in Brussels not as a problem but as the stand of the association of Serb municipalities. “We want Gora to be a part of the association of Serb municipalities and Gora wants this too,” the director of the Office for Kosovo said. He underscored that the association of Serb municipalities is open to all who want to become a part of it and underscored that every municipality in Kosovo can become a member of the association if it accepts the basic values and the structure of the association. “The Goranis demonstrated that they care for Serbia and the ties with Serbs,” he underscored and added that the association of Serb municipalities is an open proposition which has been accepted in Gora. Vulin noted that 880 students are attending classes in six high schools and one primary school in Gora according to the programme provided by the Serbian Ministry of Education. Serbia's institutions have always been here and they will stay in the area so as to provide assistance through the healthcare and education systems and social protection, Vulin said and added that Gora is home to over 300 beneficiaries of social assistance provided by Serbia "without which life in the municipality would not be possible". Tanjug

Kosovo office chief: We're not asking for another RS

On Wednesday, Vulin visited the Prizren Theological Seminary and Milica Đorđević, the only Serb primary school pupil in the city.

“This is not the RS, we do not want foreign affairs, army and all that the RS had according to the Dayton Agreement,” Vulin said in Prizren, southern Kosovo, and added that Serbia wants Serbs in the province "to be able to live safely and in the way they want".

These statements came a day after U.S. Ambassador in Belgrade Michael Kirby said that his country "does not want" a new RS in Kosovo because the model "did not turn out to be a good solution" for the development of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“Do not blame us for the RS, you made it yourselves. Do not be dissatisfied with your own work and do not prevent our attempts to help people living in Kosovo and Metohija,” Vulin said in his reaction.

On Tuesday, Belgrade-based daily Blic wrote that of the five so-called Quint countries - who recognize and support Kosovo as independent - only the United States were opposed to Serbia's proposal to establish an alliance of Serb municipalities in Kosovo.

A round of the Kosovo talks in Brussels earlier this week ended without success as Belgrade and Priština failed to agree on this point.

Goranis "stand with Serbia"

Aleksandar Vulin informed the municipal leadership of in the Gora region on Wednesday that the Belgrade delegation requested in Brussels that the issue of the Gorani ethnic minority should be resolved together with other municipalities in Kosovo where Serbs constitute a majority population.

“I won the support of Gora's representatives for this and the Goranis want to stay where they always were, with Serbia as the country they did not abandon even during the most difficult times,” Vulin said.

In the village of Vranište in the Gora municipality, Vulin told the Goranis that the government will not stop caring for them and that it would stay with its people.

“The Goranis were often exposed to attempts of assimilation and many are trying to deny them the right to the Gorani identity and existence as such,” Vulin said and added that Gora and the Goranis were mentioned in Brussels not as a problem but as the stand of the association of Serb municipalities.

“We want Gora to be a part of the association of Serb municipalities and Gora wants this too,” the director of the Office for Kosovo said.

He underscored that the association of Serb municipalities is open to all who want to become a part of it and underscored that every municipality in Kosovo can become a member of the association if it accepts the basic values and the structure of the association.

“The Goranis demonstrated that they care for Serbia and the ties with Serbs,” he underscored and added that the association of Serb municipalities is an open proposition which has been accepted in Gora.

Vulin noted that 880 students are attending classes in six high schools and one primary school in Gora according to the programme provided by the Serbian Ministry of Education.

Serbia's institutions have always been here and they will stay in the area so as to provide assistance through the healthcare and education systems and social protection, Vulin said and added that Gora is home to over 300 beneficiaries of social assistance provided by Serbia "without which life in the municipality would not be possible".