Kosovo assembly member wounded

Independent Liberal Party official Petar Miletic was shot in front of his apartment in Kosovska Mitrovica, said reports. Miletic lives in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica. He is a member of the Kosovo assembly in Pristina. Kosovo assembly member wounded Kosovo police (KPS) spokesperson Besim Hoti told Beta news agency today that Miletic was shot four times in the hallway of his apartment building. “Miletic’s injury is not life-threatening. We have a description of the suspect and the investigation is ongoing,” Hoti said. The attack today was the second violent incident in the last four days in northern Kosovska Mitrovica. Belgrade is stating that this too was a terrorist attack, and Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanovic said that the goal of the incident was to "change the reality in northern Kosovo". However, Miletic’s party stated that the attack was a result of the fact that it is one of only a few that actually cooperate with the Kosovo Albanians. “We suspect that the job Miletic does is part of the cause. Neither the party nor myself wish to speculate about that, because it is very sensitive when everyone is shifting the blame, but the fact is that the man was wounded. We are aware of the fact that we are not very popular, but our motivation is not to be popular, but to be part of the solution for our community,” said Independent Liberal Party President Slobodan Petrovic. Bogdanovic admitted that there was not much that the Serbian institutions can do in such situations, but said that there was a message in the incident. “Unfortunately, we all know that Belgrade has no instruments of authority there, that we have no police or military in Kosovo, and that we cannot do anything about that, but we can put pressure on the international community to maintain order there, which Belgrade can do in talks with international officials. The political message is that some sort of a change of reality on the ground is wanted in northern Kosovo and Metohija, and this is another threat to the Serb community in Kosovo,” Bogdanovic said. Petrovic said that it was a “fact that tensions have been increasing in the north recently” and that this was "something that was expected by the people who live in Kosovo”. “We probably did not expect that it would happen in such a brutal way, this is something that must concern people who are dealing with security, from the police, all the way to KFOR,” Petrovic said. Bogdanovic commented by saying that these incidents can be seen as pressure ahead of the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is expected give its advisory opinion soon on the legality under international law of the ethnic Albanian unilateral independence proclamation that was rejected both by Belgrade and Serb in Kosovo. “We are all aware, Serbs and Albanians, that we must sit at the negotiating table again. We must solve the problems through dialog, not in this way. This (the incidents) can be seen in that way as well, everything that is happening in northern Kosovo over the last few days is heading in that direction. I repeat, the state of Serbia is ready for a constructive, pragmatic way of solving the problems that exist down there, we are not supporting conflicts or new problems, we want the problems that exist to be solved in a peaceful and civilized manner,” concluded the minister. "Pristina will do anything" In an interview given earlier concerning the Friday hand grenade attack against a group of protesting Serbs in Kosovska Mitrovica, Bogdanovic said that "after the terrorist attack it is clear to everyone that Pristina (Kosovo Albanians) will do anything in order to attain their objective". "There is no dilemma any more and it is crystal clear that there will be no peace in Kosovo and Metohija until Pristina's separatist ambitions are restrained. Everybody supporting such an attitude of Pristina is an accomplice of ethnic Albanian terrorists and separatists," Bogdanovic said in an interview for Vesti, a daily in Serbian that is published in Frankfurt, Germany. According to him, the terrorist attack which occurred on Friday shows that every attempt to realize Pristina's plan regarding the integration of northern Kosovo could have unforeseeable consequences for peace and stability. A plan to bring the northern, Serb areas of the province under the Kosovo Albanian government was announced in early 2010 by that government and the International Civilian Office (ICO), and has been rejected by Belgrade. Asked whether he expects Serbs to start leaving the southern Serbian province, he answered that this will not happen. "I came to Kosovska Mitrovica right after the terrorist attack and I am in daily contacts with the people there who completely trust Serbia and its authorities. What is important now is that Kosovo Serbs stay calm and do not respond to any provocation," Bogdanovic was quoted as saying.

Kosovo assembly member wounded

Kosovo police (KPS) spokesperson Besim Hoti told Beta news agency today that Miletić was shot four times in the hallway of his apartment building.

“Miletić’s injury is not life-threatening. We have a description of the suspect and the investigation is ongoing,” Hoti said.

The attack today was the second violent incident in the last four days in northern Kosovska Mitrovica.

Belgrade is stating that this too was a terrorist attack, and Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanović said that the goal of the incident was to "change the reality in northern Kosovo".

However, Miletić’s party stated that the attack was a result of the fact that it is one of only a few that actually cooperate with the Kosovo Albanians.

“We suspect that the job Miletić does is part of the cause. Neither the party nor myself wish to speculate about that, because it is very sensitive when everyone is shifting the blame, but the fact is that the man was wounded. We are aware of the fact that we are not very popular, but our motivation is not to be popular, but to be part of the solution for our community,” said Independent Liberal Party President Slobodan Petrović.

Bogdanović admitted that there was not much that the Serbian institutions can do in such situations, but said that there was a message in the incident.

“Unfortunately, we all know that Belgrade has no instruments of authority there, that we have no police or military in Kosovo, and that we cannot do anything about that, but we can put pressure on the international community to maintain order there, which Belgrade can do in talks with international officials. The political message is that some sort of a change of reality on the ground is wanted in northern Kosovo and Metohija, and this is another threat to the Serb community in Kosovo,” Bogdanović said.

Petrović said that it was a “fact that tensions have been increasing in the north recently” and that this was "something that was expected by the people who live in Kosovo”.

“We probably did not expect that it would happen in such a brutal way, this is something that must concern people who are dealing with security, from the police, all the way to KFOR,” Petrović said.

Bogdanović commented by saying that these incidents can be seen as pressure ahead of the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is expected give its advisory opinion soon on the legality under international law of the ethnic Albanian unilateral independence proclamation that was rejected both by Belgrade and Serb in Kosovo.

“We are all aware, Serbs and Albanians, that we must sit at the negotiating table again. We must solve the problems through dialog, not in this way. This (the incidents) can be seen in that way as well, everything that is happening in northern Kosovo over the last few days is heading in that direction. I repeat, the state of Serbia is ready for a constructive, pragmatic way of solving the problems that exist down there, we are not supporting conflicts or new problems, we want the problems that exist to be solved in a peaceful and civilized manner,” concluded the minister.

"Priština will do anything"

In an interview given earlier concerning the Friday hand grenade attack against a group of protesting Serbs in Kosovska Mitrovica, Bogdanović said that "after the terrorist attack it is clear to everyone that Priština (Kosovo Albanians) will do anything in order to attain their objective".

"There is no dilemma any more and it is crystal clear that there will be no peace in Kosovo and Metohija until Priština's separatist ambitions are restrained. Everybody supporting such an attitude of Priština is an accomplice of ethnic Albanian terrorists and separatists," Bogdanović said in an interview for Vesti, a daily in Serbian that is published in Frankfurt, Germany.

According to him, the terrorist attack which occurred on Friday shows that every attempt to realize Priština's plan regarding the integration of northern Kosovo could have unforeseeable consequences for peace and stability.

A plan to bring the northern, Serb areas of the province under the Kosovo Albanian government was announced in early 2010 by that government and the International Civilian Office (ICO), and has been rejected by Belgrade.

Asked whether he expects Serbs to start leaving the southern Serbian province, he answered that this will not happen.

"I came to Kosovska Mitrovica right after the terrorist attack and I am in daily contacts with the people there who completely trust Serbia and its authorities. What is important now is that Kosovo Serbs stay calm and do not respond to any provocation," Bogdanović was quoted as saying.