"Kosovo Serb budget: EUR 500mn"

All these short term gimmicks are predestined to fail. You cannot just pay someone to stay without addressing the bigger picture. Without a rapprochement policy towards the majority population and a stop to this aggressive rhetoric the numbers of Kosovo Serbs will continue to wither as time goes by.

"Finance Minister Mirko Cvetković says that the budget for the Serb and non-Albanian population in Kosovo comes to some EUR 500mn".

What's this, institutionalized racism???

"I thought" Kosova "is" Serbian; hence K-Albanians are Serbian citizens. Why are they excluded form the budget???

One more time the real face of the Serbian regime.

I'm not exactly sure what this largesse is meant to achieve, but if Serbia has the money, then spending it on other Serbs makes sense to me.

Now, if this leads to corruption or resentment among different Serbs, well, it's Serbia's doing and it will have to deal with it.

As an Albanian, I'm completely ambivalent on this one.

It is imperative that Serbia does not abandon its financial responsibilities in Kosovo. The maintenance of Serbia’s territorial integrity ultimately rests with the Kosovo Serbs, and not “world powers” and the Belgrade political class. Indeed, more must be done to return the Serbs who have left Kosovo over the last 10 (20?) years and, within the framework of the UN, to have their property returned. As for the “double dipping,” well, considering all these people have been through, I think there are much worse sins being committed in the context of the current situation.

For some reason I don’t believe him. To spend 500mn taxpayers money in people that are simply doing harm to Serbia is nonsense. I don’t believe that Serbs in Serbia proper will like this.
I think that this news is a bit of electoral campaign in order to win votes of K-Serbs in Serbia and Kosova and risking to loose the votes of ordinary Serb in Serbia that struggles to find paid work never mind get paid for nothing.

If this was planned in order to make serbs return to Kosova than I think that minister is aware that Serbs will return just for a day to receive the money and than back to their homes in Serbia.

so budget only for non albanians. What do they paln To get rid of Albanians once more or maybe partition.. LOL failed politics. Putin is out and new guy more moderate.

This is greater then the amount being provided by EU!

Maybe Serbia should hold a donors conference for all nations who continue to uphold international law (150+) to support the continued development of Serbia's sovereign province that can support economic development and the return of the hundreds of thousands of Serbian citizens to their province - not just the 2540,000+ who have been ethnically cleansed because of NATO complicitness but any and all Serbian citizens who choose to assist the development of the region!

No ben,

There is no racism in Serbia’s policy towards Kosovo. K-Albanians decided to reject Serbia as their state and thus Serbia have no obligations towards them. Had Albanians decided to accept the offered proposal by Belgrade few months ago, they would be as well included in payment list, but since that did not happen Serbia does not have any obligations any longer for the K-Albanians.

As for the budget for K-Serbs it very well known that Serbs receive double wages from Serbia + some money that comes from UNMIK. They have quite good monthly income, much better than Serbs in Serbia. I am OK with that policy because it is not easy life in Kosovo nowadays, especially it is difficult to be a Serb in its own province. I am surprised that Albanians were not aware of this fact.

RE: "The minister added that there were indicators that certain people were living outside the province, but traveling to Kosovo to receive double wages."

I do hope that they are going to be found, arrested and be taken to court with fraud charges...

This is crazy. Let's see how northern Kosovo Serbs will react to this when they find out that they have been acting 'tough' in vain.

Instead of spending hundreds of millions of Euros to create regional problems and spread instability Serbia should focus in catching Mladic and Karadzic and move ahead with European integration, which would mean a stable and more democratic region.

This step is an influence to coruption.By 2010 the number of people traveling to Kosovo just to get double wages will be half of Serbia.I myself might travell as well.

This is significantly higher than the Kosova 'government' per capita spend.
Euro 2500 per head for loyal Serbian citizens, against
Euro 550 per head for ethnic Albanians.

Does anybody know Serbias budget for 2008 so we can see what the per capita spend is in Central Serbia?

Kosovo and Vojvodina should be independent.

For some reason I don’t believe him. To spend 500mn taxpayers money in people that are simply doing harm to Serbia is nonsense. I don’t believe that Serbs in Serbia proper will like this.
I think that this news is a bit of electoral campaign in order to win votes of K-Serbs in Serbia and Kosova and risking to loose the votes of ordinary Serb in Serbia that struggles to find paid work never mind get paid for nothing.

If this was planned in order to make serbs return to Kosova than I think that minister is aware that Serbs will return just for a day to receive the money and than back to their homes in Serbia.

so budget only for non albanians. What do they paln To get rid of Albanians once more or maybe partition.. LOL failed politics. Putin is out and new guy more moderate.

All these short term gimmicks are predestined to fail. You cannot just pay someone to stay without addressing the bigger picture. Without a rapprochement policy towards the majority population and a stop to this aggressive rhetoric the numbers of Kosovo Serbs will continue to wither as time goes by.

This step is an influence to coruption.By 2010 the number of people traveling to Kosovo just to get double wages will be half of Serbia.I myself might travell as well.

This is crazy. Let's see how northern Kosovo Serbs will react to this when they find out that they have been acting 'tough' in vain.

Instead of spending hundreds of millions of Euros to create regional problems and spread instability Serbia should focus in catching Mladic and Karadzic and move ahead with European integration, which would mean a stable and more democratic region.

"Finance Minister Mirko Cvetković says that the budget for the Serb and non-Albanian population in Kosovo comes to some EUR 500mn".

What's this, institutionalized racism???

"I thought" Kosova "is" Serbian; hence K-Albanians are Serbian citizens. Why are they excluded form the budget???

One more time the real face of the Serbian regime.

No ben,

There is no racism in Serbia’s policy towards Kosovo. K-Albanians decided to reject Serbia as their state and thus Serbia have no obligations towards them. Had Albanians decided to accept the offered proposal by Belgrade few months ago, they would be as well included in payment list, but since that did not happen Serbia does not have any obligations any longer for the K-Albanians.

As for the budget for K-Serbs it very well known that Serbs receive double wages from Serbia + some money that comes from UNMIK. They have quite good monthly income, much better than Serbs in Serbia. I am OK with that policy because it is not easy life in Kosovo nowadays, especially it is difficult to be a Serb in its own province. I am surprised that Albanians were not aware of this fact.

This is significantly higher than the Kosova 'government' per capita spend.
Euro 2500 per head for loyal Serbian citizens, against
Euro 550 per head for ethnic Albanians.

Does anybody know Serbias budget for 2008 so we can see what the per capita spend is in Central Serbia?

I'm not exactly sure what this largesse is meant to achieve, but if Serbia has the money, then spending it on other Serbs makes sense to me.

Now, if this leads to corruption or resentment among different Serbs, well, it's Serbia's doing and it will have to deal with it.

As an Albanian, I'm completely ambivalent on this one.

RE: "The minister added that there were indicators that certain people were living outside the province, but traveling to Kosovo to receive double wages."

I do hope that they are going to be found, arrested and be taken to court with fraud charges...

This is greater then the amount being provided by EU!

Maybe Serbia should hold a donors conference for all nations who continue to uphold international law (150+) to support the continued development of Serbia's sovereign province that can support economic development and the return of the hundreds of thousands of Serbian citizens to their province - not just the 2540,000+ who have been ethnically cleansed because of NATO complicitness but any and all Serbian citizens who choose to assist the development of the region!

It is imperative that Serbia does not abandon its financial responsibilities in Kosovo. The maintenance of Serbia’s territorial integrity ultimately rests with the Kosovo Serbs, and not “world powers” and the Belgrade political class. Indeed, more must be done to return the Serbs who have left Kosovo over the last 10 (20?) years and, within the framework of the UN, to have their property returned. As for the “double dipping,” well, considering all these people have been through, I think there are much worse sins being committed in the context of the current situation.

Kosovo and Vojvodina should be independent.