"Officials don't need permit to enter Kosovo"

Serbia's officials never ask for permission to enter Kosovo since it is a part of Serbia according to UNSCR 1244, Oliver Ivanovic says. The state secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo was reacting to comments heard from the Kosovo Albanian leadership in Pristina that Serbia's representatives must have permission to enter the territory. "Officials don't need permit to enter Kosovo" "As long as there are international representatives here, we need no permission," said Ivanovic. "They cannot prevent us from entering, nor will anyone respect a possible ban of theirs." Ivanovic said that he is worried that "this is in fact the start of a conflict that Kosovo's Albanians are pushing for on purpose, intent on diverting the attention of their public from the grave economic situation by starting trouble". According to him, Serbian officials traveling to the province talk to UNMIK, "not for permits but to ask for escort, since they objectively do not feel safe while visiting the Serb enclaves, and, generally, the Serb community". He said that Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic recently also requested escort, rather than permission to travel. "That escort has not been approved, I don't know for what reason. There is no official explanation," said Ivanovic.

"Officials don't need permit to enter Kosovo"

"As long as there are international representatives here, we need no permission," said Ivanović.

"They cannot prevent us from entering, nor will anyone respect a possible ban of theirs."

Ivanović said that he is worried that "this is in fact the start of a conflict that Kosovo's Albanians are pushing for on purpose, intent on diverting the attention of their public from the grave economic situation by starting trouble".

According to him, Serbian officials traveling to the province talk to UNMIK, "not for permits but to ask for escort, since they objectively do not feel safe while visiting the Serb enclaves, and, generally, the Serb community".

He said that Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanović recently also requested escort, rather than permission to travel.

"That escort has not been approved, I don't know for what reason. There is no official explanation," said Ivanović.