Army chief says VS "has plan for Kosovo"

Serbian Army (VS) Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Miloje Miletic says that the military "has a plan to prevent a crisis in Kosovo - if it occurs". "Nothing could surprise us," asserted Miletic in an interview for Belgrade's Vecernje Novosti newspaper, and added that constant contacts were being maintained "with our people, and KFOR". Army chief says VS "has plan for Kosovo" The general appraised the current security situation in Serbia and the region as "relatively stable". "There are still some risks, especially in Kosovo and Metohija, and also to some extent in the south of Serbia and the Raska District (Sandzak), but they are not of a nature that would require military solutions," he stated, and added: "The army has plans to prevent any crisis in all the areas it believes could potentially be sources of some instability. We have such a plan for Kosovo and Metohija as well. The VS will engage and act exclusively in line with decisions made by the state organs, and the Constitution and laws." Miletic also said that the cooperation between the army and the NATO troops in Kosovo, KFOR, was based on the military-technical agreement. "It is not a framework to solve the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, but it provides good conditions for political dialogue. In all talks we always insist on KFOR's impartiality. Their representatives are always convincing us that they are acting exclusively in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244," he revealed. The army chief also told the daily that he had no information that the remaining Serbs in Kosovo could be leaving their homes. "I sincerely believe that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and the talks that we have with the local self-government organs in Kosovo, will lead to a solution and that we will not find ourselves in a situation where it will be solved militarily. Especially given the fact that it is not likely that any military solution could be long-term and stable," said the general. He noted that currently, some 6,000 KFOR troops were deployed in Kosovo. "This number was reduced over the past two years and fell down to just around 5,000. After the crisis broke out in the north, they brought in a German-Austrian battalion from operative reserves and currently there are some 6,000 KFOR members deployed in Kosovo and Metohija. We have been constantly pointing out that it would detrimental and with consequences for security to further cut this number. We have received assurances that the number of troops will depend on the situation," concluded Miletic. Lt. Gen. Miloje Miletic (FoNet, file)

Army chief says VS "has plan for Kosovo"

The general appraised the current security situation in Serbia and the region as "relatively stable".

"There are still some risks, especially in Kosovo and Metohija, and also to some extent in the south of Serbia and the Raška District (Sandžak), but they are not of a nature that would require military solutions," he stated, and added:

"The army has plans to prevent any crisis in all the areas it believes could potentially be sources of some instability. We have such a plan for Kosovo and Metohija as well. The VS will engage and act exclusively in line with decisions made by the state organs, and the Constitution and laws."

Miletić also said that the cooperation between the army and the NATO troops in Kosovo, KFOR, was based on the military-technical agreement.

"It is not a framework to solve the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, but it provides good conditions for political dialogue. In all talks we always insist on KFOR's impartiality. Their representatives are always convincing us that they are acting exclusively in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244," he revealed.

The army chief also told the daily that he had no information that the remaining Serbs in Kosovo could be leaving their homes.

"I sincerely believe that the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština, and the talks that we have with the local self-government organs in Kosovo, will lead to a solution and that we will not find ourselves in a situation where it will be solved militarily. Especially given the fact that it is not likely that any military solution could be long-term and stable," said the general.

He noted that currently, some 6,000 KFOR troops were deployed in Kosovo.

"This number was reduced over the past two years and fell down to just around 5,000. After the crisis broke out in the north, they brought in a German-Austrian battalion from operative reserves and currently there are some 6,000 KFOR members deployed in Kosovo and Metohija. We have been constantly pointing out that it would detrimental and with consequences for security to further cut this number. We have received assurances that the number of troops will depend on the situation," concluded Miletić.