Serb municipalities request respect of 1244

Representatives of the Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo held a meeting in Kosovska Mitrovica. They requested that UNMIK chief Joachim Ruecker provides for the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 to be respected and to nullify the unliateral declaration of Kosovo's independence, which was adopted by the province's assembly. Serb municipalities request respect of 1244 President of the Leposavic municipality Velimir Bojovic told Tanjug that Ruecker was requested to respect Resolution 1244 and nullify the declaration of the Kosovo interim institutions on the province's independence. Bojovic pointed out that the Serbian people do not want customs checkpoints on the administrative line, which was also pointed out to the head of the UN in Kosovo. “We want to live in Serbia and the Serbs in Kosovo do not need any customs checkpoints between the province and the rest of Serbia, and we certainly do not want money for the so-called state of Kosovo to be collected on the administrative lines with Serbia,” Bojovic said. On Monday evening, Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardzic said that Serbia will "expand its authority" in the province, while the local United Nations interim administration, UNMIK, should continue doing its work in keeping with 1244. "Serbia respects the mandate of UNMIK in the altered circumstances, but it will not permit that the self-proclaimed independence of Kosovo should be that in reality," Samardzic said. In talks with UNMIK Chief Joachim Ruecker, Samardzic said he had told the UN official that "after February 17, no-one, and least of all UNMIK, should pretened ignorance and pretend not to see that the situation has completely changed." "UNMIK is facing a challenge, and that challenge is a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and a violation of international law, and UNMIK itself must take a stand on that," Samardzic said. The interim institutions in Pristina in fact do not recognize UNMIK because they are considering independence and UNMIK's departure, the minister said. "It is our objective that UNMIK should remain, and I believe that will also be the objective of the international community and the UN Security Council," Samardzic concluded.

Serb municipalities request respect of 1244

President of the Leposavić municipality Velimir Bojović told Tanjug that Ruecker was requested to respect Resolution 1244 and nullify the declaration of the Kosovo interim institutions on the province's independence.

Bojović pointed out that the Serbian people do not want customs checkpoints on the administrative line, which was also pointed out to the head of the UN in Kosovo.

“We want to live in Serbia and the Serbs in Kosovo do not need any customs checkpoints between the province and the rest of Serbia, and we certainly do not want money for the so-called state of Kosovo to be collected on the administrative lines with Serbia,” Bojović said.

On Monday evening, Minister for Kosovo Slobodan Samardžić said that Serbia will "expand its authority" in the province, while the local United Nations interim administration, UNMIK, should continue doing its work in keeping with 1244.

"Serbia respects the mandate of UNMIK in the altered circumstances, but it will not permit that the self-proclaimed independence of Kosovo should be that in reality," Samardžić said.

In talks with UNMIK Chief Joachim Ruecker, Samardžić said he had told the UN official that "after February 17, no-one, and least of all UNMIK, should pretened ignorance and pretend not to see that the situation has completely changed."

"UNMIK is facing a challenge, and that challenge is a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and a violation of international law, and UNMIK itself must take a stand on that," Samardžić said.

The interim institutions in Priština in fact do not recognize UNMIK because they are considering independence and UNMIK's departure, the minister said.

"It is our objective that UNMIK should remain, and I believe that will also be the objective of the international community and the UN Security Council," Samardžić concluded.