"Fighting crime tough task for EULEX"

Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac said on Sunday that EULEX in Kosovo faces "a difficult task of fighting all sorts of crime". "I think that EULEX will face a very difficult task, because the source of problems in a large number of cities throughout Europe is crime coming from or going through Kosovo-Metohija," Sutanovac said. "Fighting crime tough task for EULEX" He also reiterated that it was completely unacceptable and unnecessary to form the so-called Kosovo security force, although the formation, as he said, with about 2,500 active members and about 800 reservists could not be a military threat to Serbia. "Kosovo-Metohija is a far greater security challenge to police forces, and the international community has not succeeded in establishing a civil and democratic society and the rule of law and justice in the province," Sutanovac said. Yesterday, Sutanovac was touring the area near the administrative line with Kosovo, when he once again addressed Belgrade's initiative to revise the 1999 Kumanovo agreement. He was accompanied by Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjic as they officially opened a 12-kilometer stretch of road connecting Kursumlijska Banja with the area. Serbian Army (VS) troops spent the past twelve days building the road. Sutanovac said there was a high degree of security in the Ground Safety Zone – patrolled by army and police. All the brigades deployed, according to him, "are at the highest level and are doing their job very responsibly". "The fact is that this is one of the most sensitive zones, since timber thieves come from the other side often, but luckily there were no incidents that would lead to any conflict," said he. "I must say it is safe and that the whole year went fairly safely," the minister was pleased. He said that the government was opposed to the formation of the Kosovo security forces since this is being done in a situation where Kosovo is one of the biggest criminal black holes of Europe. Mrkonjic, who along Sutanovac also visited the village of Rasevac on the administrative line, said that his ministry will early next year continue with road construction in the Toplicki District, including the Prokuplje bypass, and the road leading to the administrative checkpoint of Merdare. Sutanovac speaks in Belgrade on Sunday (FoNet)

"Fighting crime tough task for EULEX"

He also reiterated that it was completely unacceptable and unnecessary to form the so-called Kosovo security force, although the formation, as he said, with about 2,500 active members and about 800 reservists could not be a military threat to Serbia.

"Kosovo-Metohija is a far greater security challenge to police forces, and the international community has not succeeded in establishing a civil and democratic society and the rule of law and justice in the province," Šutanovac said.

Yesterday, Šutanovac was touring the area near the administrative line with Kosovo, when he once again addressed Belgrade's initiative to revise the 1999 Kumanovo agreement.

He was accompanied by Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjić as they officially opened a 12-kilometer stretch of road connecting Kuršumlijska Banja with the area.

Serbian Army (VS) troops spent the past twelve days building the road.

Šutanovac said there was a high degree of security in the Ground Safety Zone – patrolled by army and police.

All the brigades deployed, according to him, "are at the highest level and are doing their job very responsibly".

"The fact is that this is one of the most sensitive zones, since timber thieves come from the other side often, but luckily there were no incidents that would lead to any conflict," said he.

"I must say it is safe and that the whole year went fairly safely," the minister was pleased.

He said that the government was opposed to the formation of the Kosovo security forces since this is being done in a situation where Kosovo is one of the biggest criminal black holes of Europe.

Mrkonjić, who along Šutanovac also visited the village of Raševac on the administrative line, said that his ministry will early next year continue with road construction in the Toplički District, including the Prokuplje bypass, and the road leading to the administrative checkpoint of Merdare.