Minister: Musliu "makes no sense"

Rasim Ljajic on Tuesday condemned the rhetoric of one of the Valley Albanian leaders from the south of the country. "Bujanovac municipality deputy mayor Jonuz Musliu is trying to draw attention to the south with his rhetoric, since there is no potential for a crisis there," Ljajic, head of a coordinating body for the region, said. Minister: Musliu "makes no sense" He was referring to Musliu's recent remarks that due to increased numbers of Serbian's security forces in the Presevo Valley, as well as the construction of an army base in the area, "there is a danger of instability in the region." "Now, along with multiethnic police, we urge the presence of NATO forces as well, because only in that way will the citizens of Bujanovac and Presevo feel safe," Musliu was quoted. Ljajic, who is also a minister in the Serbian cabinet, qualified the ethnic Albanian leader's statement as "nonsense", pointing out that such a development "is out of question." "Certain political parties have realized that the international community intervenes only in places where there is a danger of a crises or where a crises has already broken out, but since in this case there is no potential for a real, substantial crises, then verbal rhetoric suffices for someone to draw attention to that," Ljajic told reporters today. He pointed out that the state will preserve political stability in south Serbia "without decreasing or increasing the number of security forces," and that there is "no need whatsoever for any kind of international engagement in that part of the Serbian territory." After the end of the 1999 war in Kosovo, an offshoot of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), calling itself UCPMB, started to group on both sides of the administrative boundary between Kosovo and Serbia proper, attacking police, civilians, and at one point international observers. It was disarmed and disbanded through an internationally brokered agreement in 2001, after the area found itself on the brink of war in the previous two years. Serbian security forces were allowed back in the buffer zone, and Belgrade continues to employ army and police units, including MUP's best trained and equipped outfit, Gendarmerie.

Minister: Musliu "makes no sense"

He was referring to Musliu's recent remarks that due to increased numbers of Serbian's security forces in the Preševo Valley, as well as the construction of an army base in the area, "there is a danger of instability in the region."

"Now, along with multiethnic police, we urge the presence of NATO forces as well, because only in that way will the citizens of Bujanovac and Preševo feel safe," Musliu was quoted.

Ljajić, who is also a minister in the Serbian cabinet, qualified the ethnic Albanian leader's statement as "nonsense", pointing out that such a development "is out of question."

"Certain political parties have realized that the international community intervenes only in places where there is a danger of a crises or where a crises has already broken out, but since in this case there is no potential for a real, substantial crises, then verbal rhetoric suffices for someone to draw attention to that," Ljajić told reporters today.

He pointed out that the state will preserve political stability in south Serbia "without decreasing or increasing the number of security forces," and that there is "no need whatsoever for any kind of international engagement in that part of the Serbian territory."

After the end of the 1999 war in Kosovo, an offshoot of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), calling itself UCPMB, started to group on both sides of the administrative boundary between Kosovo and Serbia proper, attacking police, civilians, and at one point international observers.

It was disarmed and disbanded through an internationally brokered agreement in 2001, after the area found itself on the brink of war in the previous two years.

Serbian security forces were allowed back in the buffer zone, and Belgrade continues to employ army and police units, including MUP's best trained and equipped outfit, Gendarmerie.