Serbs in Kosovo urged to "always side with their state"

Representatives of Serbs from northern Kosovo met with the citizens at the barricades in Rudare, near the town of Zvecan. They were told that Serbia stands firmly behind them, and called on to support the top state officials. Serbs in Kosovo urged to "always side with their state" That would serve "mutual interests", the Serbs who have been keeping the barricades for two weeks were told today, according to a Tanjug news agency report. Together with Kosovska Mitrovica District chief Radenko Nedeljkovic and President of the Zvecan Municipal Assembly Dobrosav Dobric, Kosovska Mitrovica Mayor Krstimir Pantic informed Serbs in Rudare about the meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadic, which took place in Belgrade late on Sunday. "The state of Serbia is standing firmly behind us and supports what we are doing, and it i s our obligation to stand by our country and support it even when we are not completely in favor of certain ideas, because this serves our mutual interests," the Kosovska Mitrovica mayor said. He underscored that councilors and representatives were responsible and reasonable individuals and expressed expectation that the right decision would be adopted during the Tuesday meeting between representatives of four northern Kosovo municipalities. "We agreed to preserve peace, unity and stability in this territory in the time to come and to continue talks with the international community," Nedeljkovic said. According to him, an agreement has been reached according to which Serbs from northern Kosovo should make it clear in the talks with the international community that its representatives need to respect UN Security Council's Resolution 1244. Pantic further said that "an advisor" to KFOR commander Erhard Buehler called him on Monday morning, "to apologize to him and the Serb people on behalf of Buehler" for everything that happened in the past days. "KFOR in this way admitted to making a mistake by taking the side of the Kosovo Albanians. I am certain that KFOR will in the future act much more carefully," he said, adding that, in the future, "all issues" would be solved in negotiations between the government of Serbia and a delegation of the Kosovo Albanians. "We told Boris Tadic that the barricade in Rudare was a symbol of resistance to the Kosovo institutions," Pantic continued, and noted that the Serbian Orthodox patriarch said the cross erected near the barricade was a symbol of hope and faith for a better future of Serbs in the province. "We are aware that we cannot remove that barricade, KFOR has the freedom of movement, while councilors will tomorrow decide if and when the barricade will be removed," said Pantic. Kosovska Mitrovica District chief Radenko Nedeljkovic also addressed the citizens in Rudare to say that Boris Tadic supported them and appealed on them to persist in determined, united and peaceful struggle until their demands had been met. "The president pleaded with us all to protest only in that way, not to fall for provocations and the propaganda and psychological war being conducted from Pristina and a part of the international community, and not to cause any incidents," said Nedeljkovic. Nedeljkovic asked the citizens to have "full confidence in their representatives, to respect their decisions and instructions", and, "guaranteed that they would win", said reports from northern Kosovo. The crisis in the north started on July 25, when Kosovo Albanian authorities tried to enforce a ban on goods coming from Serbia by taking over two administrative line checkpoints between northern Kosovo and central Serbia. Serbs who are a majority in the north do not accept the authority of the Pristina government, and reject the ethnic Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made in Febraury 2008. Last week, Serbian officials and NATO-led forces in the province negotiated a temporary agreement valid through September 15, meant to defuse tensions. Radenko Nedeljkovic (Tanjug)

Serbs in Kosovo urged to "always side with their state"

That would serve "mutual interests", the Serbs who have been keeping the barricades for two weeks were told today, according to a Tanjug news agency report.

Together with Kosovska Mitrovica District chief Radenko Nedeljković and President of the Zvečan Municipal Assembly Dobrosav Dobrić, Kosovska Mitrovica Mayor Krstimir Pantić informed Serbs in Rudare about the meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadić, which took place in Belgrade late on Sunday.

"The state of Serbia is standing firmly behind us and supports what we are doing, and it i s our obligation to stand by our country and support it even when we are not completely in favor of certain ideas, because this serves our mutual interests," the Kosovska Mitrovica mayor said.

He underscored that councilors and representatives were responsible and reasonable individuals and expressed expectation that the right decision would be adopted during the Tuesday meeting between representatives of four northern Kosovo municipalities.

"We agreed to preserve peace, unity and stability in this territory in the time to come and to continue talks with the international community," Nedeljković said.

According to him, an agreement has been reached according to which Serbs from northern Kosovo should make it clear in the talks with the international community that its representatives need to respect UN Security Council's Resolution 1244.

Pantić further said that "an advisor" to KFOR commander Erhard Buehler called him on Monday morning, "to apologize to him and the Serb people on behalf of Buehler" for everything that happened in the past days.

"KFOR in this way admitted to making a mistake by taking the side of the Kosovo Albanians. I am certain that KFOR will in the future act much more carefully," he said, adding that, in the future, "all issues" would be solved in negotiations between the government of Serbia and a delegation of the Kosovo Albanians.

"We told Boris Tadić that the barricade in Rudare was a symbol of resistance to the Kosovo institutions," Pantić continued, and noted that the Serbian Orthodox patriarch said the cross erected near the barricade was a symbol of hope and faith for a better future of Serbs in the province.

"We are aware that we cannot remove that barricade, KFOR has the freedom of movement, while councilors will tomorrow decide if and when the barricade will be removed," said Pantić.

Kosovska Mitrovica District chief Radenko Nedeljković also addressed the citizens in Rudare to say that Boris Tadić supported them and appealed on them to persist in determined, united and peaceful struggle until their demands had been met.

"The president pleaded with us all to protest only in that way, not to fall for provocations and the propaganda and psychological war being conducted from Priština and a part of the international community, and not to cause any incidents," said Nedeljković.

Nedeljković asked the citizens to have "full confidence in their representatives, to respect their decisions and instructions", and, "guaranteed that they would win", said reports from northern Kosovo.

The crisis in the north started on July 25, when Kosovo Albanian authorities tried to enforce a ban on goods coming from Serbia by taking over two administrative line checkpoints between northern Kosovo and central Serbia. Serbs who are a majority in the north do not accept the authority of the Priština government, and reject the ethnic Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made in Febraury 2008.

Last week, Serbian officials and NATO-led forces in the province negotiated a temporary agreement valid through September 15, meant to defuse tensions.