Thaci says Dačić will embark on "religious visit"

PRISTINA Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci stated on Friday that Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic will visit Kosovo on Saturday. His visit has been granted because its purpose is religious, the Albanian language media reported. Thaci says Dacic will embark on "religious visit" Thaci made the remarks during a session of the government in Pristina. "Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic will visit Kosovo on Saturday, and his visit has been granted because it is of a religious character, as he will visit the Gracanica Monastery," Thaci was quoted as saying. He also said that Kosovo was "an independent and modern state" which "shared civilizational values of the west," and would therefore "show understanding for religious and humanitarian values of other peoples." The Serbian government is yet to announce the agenda of Dacic's visit to Kosovo. Earlier this month, the decision Pristina's decision to ban Dacic from traveling to Kosovo during the campaign for the November 3 local elections sparked a controversy, which was resolved during their meeting in Brussels with EU's Catherine Ashton. At the session of his government on Friday, Thaci also said that the Serbian minister without portfolio in charge of Kosovo and Metohija, Aleksandar Vulin, "entered Kosovo illegally on Thursday" - but "did not specify any possible measures which could be implemented in such cases," Tanjug reported. However, Vulin spoke on Thursday to say that he had traveled to Kosovo "without any problems," and that EULEX did not ban him from taking the trip, while he maintained "no communication" with the authorities in Pristina. (Beta, file) B92 Beta Tanjug

Thaci says Dačić will embark on "religious visit"

Thaci made the remarks during a session of the government in Priština.

"Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić will visit Kosovo on Saturday, and his visit has been granted because it is of a religious character, as he will visit the Gračanica Monastery," Thaci was quoted as saying.

He also said that Kosovo was "an independent and modern state" which "shared civilizational values of the west," and would therefore "show understanding for religious and humanitarian values of other peoples."

The Serbian government is yet to announce the agenda of Dačić's visit to Kosovo.

Earlier this month, the decision Priština's decision to ban Dačić from traveling to Kosovo during the campaign for the November 3 local elections sparked a controversy, which was resolved during their meeting in Brussels with EU's Catherine Ashton.

At the session of his government on Friday, Thaci also said that the Serbian minister without portfolio in charge of Kosovo and Metohija, Aleksandar Vulin, "entered Kosovo illegally on Thursday" - but "did not specify any possible measures which could be implemented in such cases," Tanjug reported.

However, Vulin spoke on Thursday to say that he had traveled to Kosovo "without any problems," and that EULEX did not ban him from taking the trip, while he maintained "no communication" with the authorities in Priština.