“K. Albanian minister sent open threat of war”

President Boris Tadic said that Kosovo Albanian Minister Bajram Rexhepi made open threats of war in a statement made on Friday. Rexhepi, who is the interior minister in the Kosovo Albanian government, said that Pristina would be sending special police forces to northern Kosovo in order to establish peace and order in the region. “K. Albanian minister sent open threat of war” Tadic said that the “temporary institutions in Kosovo will be the only ones responsible for the catastrophic consequences of the eventual implementation of these threats.” Tadic said that such “warmongering statements and other provocations are endangering the fragile peace and stability in northern Kosovo.” He said that it is crucial for EULEX to immediately deny Rexhepi’s statement that the EU mission in Kosovo supports such a plan. Tadic said that this is the only possible stance for EULEX to take, since its status is neutral in the province. Boris Tadic (FoNet archive) Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogadnovic said that Rexhepi’s statement shows who stands behind the recently violent events in the northern part of Serbia’s southern province. “The statement, also, clearly shows who wants to rush and who wants to change the situation on the ground right before the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is given,” Bogadnovic said. The ICJ is expected to give its opinion on the legality of Kosovo’s unilaterally proclaimed independence by the end of the month. Bogadnovic told the Tanjug news agency that everyone who wants a peaceful solution of compromise must be disappointed, but at the same time, “very worried by such statements, which represent a rattling of weapons.” Bogadnovic reminded that it was stated at the recent UN Security Council meeting on Kosovo that those who use unilateral measures will be responsible for the tension, unrest and bad consequences. “To be clear—they mean Pristina, and those who encourage such acts. At the same time, EULEX, as a status neutral mission, must state clearly if Rexhepi’s statements regarding an agreement with EULEX with which such a move would be enabled, were true. If it is true, then the mission has violated its mandate and Serbia will have to react accordingly to this,” Bogadnovic said. Goran Bogdanovic (FoNet archive)

“K. Albanian minister sent open threat of war”

Tadić said that the “temporary institutions in Kosovo will be the only ones responsible for the catastrophic consequences of the eventual implementation of these threats.”

Tadić said that such “warmongering statements and other provocations are endangering the fragile peace and stability in northern Kosovo.”

He said that it is crucial for EULEX to immediately deny Rexhepi’s statement that the EU mission in Kosovo supports such a plan.

Tadić said that this is the only possible stance for EULEX to take, since its status is neutral in the province. Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogadnović said that Rexhepi’s statement shows who stands behind the recently violent events in the northern part of Serbia’s southern province.

“The statement, also, clearly shows who wants to rush and who wants to change the situation on the ground right before the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is given,” Bogadnović said.

The ICJ is expected to give its opinion on the legality of Kosovo’s unilaterally proclaimed independence by the end of the month.

Bogadnović told the Tanjug news agency that everyone who wants a peaceful solution of compromise must be disappointed, but at the same time, “very worried by such statements, which represent a rattling of weapons.”

Bogadnović reminded that it was stated at the recent UN Security Council meeting on Kosovo that those who use unilateral measures will be responsible for the tension, unrest and bad consequences.

“To be clear—they mean Priština, and those who encourage such acts. At the same time, EULEX, as a status neutral mission, must state clearly if Rexhepi’s statements regarding an agreement with EULEX with which such a move would be enabled, were true. If it is true, then the mission has violated its mandate and Serbia will have to react accordingly to this,” Bogadnović said.