Minister, UNMIK official meet in Belgrade

Kosovo Minister Goran Bodganovic and deputy UNMIK chief Nicholas Haysom held talks in Belgrade today. This was the third such meeting between official Belgrade and the UN mission in Kosovo in the past six weeks. Minister, UNMIK official meet in Belgrade Bogdanovic and Haysom expressed their views on the living and working conditions, and problems of the Serbs in Kosovo, the Kosovo Ministry said in a short statement after the meeting. They also discussed "long-term dynamics of future meetings that will be held with the aim of reaching a comprehensive solutions to the problems of the Serb population of Kosovo and Metohija". The sides will continue their dialogue on police and judiciary matters in the province, while future talks will include customs, transport, protection of cultural and religious monuments and other issues related to the mission's reconfiguration, it was announced earlier today. These sectors were singled out by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as he approved the process. But ahead of the meeting, Bogdanovic once again repeated the government's position that Ban's decision to allow the EU mission, EULEX, to take over some obligations, has been rejected, VOA reported. He also said the government will support those Serbs who left the Kosovo police, KPS, to return to their jobs, but under "international police's command". "The Serbian government backs the Serbs' position that they will not be a part of the KPS chain of command in Pristina, because they would in that way indirectly recognize the independence of the self-proclaimed state of Kosovo," Bogdanovic explained. He also said that the government in Pristina, by unilaterally proclaiming independence of the province, created parallel institutions, rather than that this was happening with the Serb institutions now. The minister announced help to strengthen the latter, including the September opening of a coordination center office in Gracanica, meant to send a message to the Serbs living outside of northern Kosovo that the state "has not forgotten them". Also today, the state secretary with the ministry, Oliver Ivanovic, said that UNMIK customs, if they wished to have control over the checkpoints in the north, must reach an agreement with representatives from an appropriate government ministry in Belgrade.

Minister, UNMIK official meet in Belgrade

Bogdanović and Haysom expressed their views on the living and working conditions, and problems of the Serbs in Kosovo, the Kosovo Ministry said in a short statement after the meeting.

They also discussed "long-term dynamics of future meetings that will be held with the aim of reaching a comprehensive solutions to the problems of the Serb population of Kosovo and Metohija".

The sides will continue their dialogue on police and judiciary matters in the province, while future talks will include customs, transport, protection of cultural and religious monuments and other issues related to the mission's reconfiguration, it was announced earlier today.

These sectors were singled out by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as he approved the process.

But ahead of the meeting, Bogdanović once again repeated the government's position that Ban's decision to allow the EU mission, EULEX, to take over some obligations, has been rejected, VOA reported.

He also said the government will support those Serbs who left the Kosovo police, KPS, to return to their jobs, but under "international police's command".

"The Serbian government backs the Serbs' position that they will not be a part of the KPS chain of command in Priština, because they would in that way indirectly recognize the independence of the self-proclaimed state of Kosovo," Bogdanović explained.

He also said that the government in Priština, by unilaterally proclaiming independence of the province, created parallel institutions, rather than that this was happening with the Serb institutions now.

The minister announced help to strengthen the latter, including the September opening of a coordination center office in Gračanica, meant to send a message to the Serbs living outside of northern Kosovo that the state "has not forgotten them".

Also today, the state secretary with the ministry, Oliver Ivanović, said that UNMIK customs, if they wished to have control over the checkpoints in the north, must reach an agreement with representatives from an appropriate government ministry in Belgrade.