Minister tells Serbs in north to remain at barricades

Minister for Kosovo and Metohija on Tuesday called on the residents of northern Kosovo to continue to gather at the barricades. "I plead with you to continue gathering in as large a number as possible, and express our will and goals in a peaceful manner, to not allow the Kosovo state to take root in this region," he told some 2,000 Serbs from the province gathered at the road block in the village of Rudare. Minister tells Serbs in north to remain at barricades The minister urged the citizens to behave in a dignified manner, maintain peace and fight for their rights and the rights of Serbia. Bogdanovic said negotiations concerning the situation in the north would continue, while he described those held to date as "fairly difficult and uncertain". Yesterday, Bogdanovic and other government officials met with the EU mediator in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue held in Brussels, Robert Cooper, but there were no statements given after the meeting which is expected to resume. "Clearly there is no understanding for our interests and goals in a part of the international community, and for this reason I plead on you to be united, to set partisan issues aside, as well as rumors which are more dangerous than guns here," the minister said to the local Serbs at Rudare today. The crisis in the norther, predominantly Serb parts of the province started when the Kosovo Albanian government in Pristina put an embargo on goods coming from central Serbia and then, on July 25, sent members of police units to take over the control of administrative checkpoints. Local Serbs responded to the move, taken while the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is underway, by setting up roadblocks, and said they would continue the protests until the situation was "back to where it was before July 25" - when EULEX customs and Serb members of Kosovo police, KPS, were at Brnjak and Jarinje posts. On Tuesday, head of Serbia's negotiating team in the Kosovo dialogue Borislav Stefanovic underlined Pristina was not yet ready for an agreement on resolution of the north Kosovo crisis, and called on Serbs to stay on barricades and not react to provocations but rather give a chance to dialogue. Warning about “weekend warriors” and people who pretend to care from Belgrade, Stefanovic called on Serbs at barricades “to restrain from incidents and unnecessary exaggerated patriotism” since the problem can be resolved only through a dialogue. “This is not a ghetto, this is Serbia… We want people to move freely, we want to get back to the dialogue. In order for that to happen, this crisis has to be resolved in the manner that we asked for. We are waiting for a feedback. For now, Pristina is not ready for the talks,” Stefanovic said in Rudare. Stefanovic said that Belgrade officials have, in a way, become "undesired interlocutors". “Things will not calm down. We have to preserve unity and peace. Today we will have difficult talks. Although there will be more subversions and provocations, you should give a chance to dialogue. You have amazed the world with your dignity and creativeness. These are the qualities that win, these are the qualities that worry them,” Stefanovic said, addressing the Serbs gathered at the barricade. Borislav Stefanovic in Rudare on Tuesday (Beta)

Minister tells Serbs in north to remain at barricades

The minister urged the citizens to behave in a dignified manner, maintain peace and fight for their rights and the rights of Serbia.

Bogdanović said negotiations concerning the situation in the north would continue, while he described those held to date as "fairly difficult and uncertain".

Yesterday, Bogdanović and other government officials met with the EU mediator in the Belgrade-Priština dialogue held in Brussels, Robert Cooper, but there were no statements given after the meeting which is expected to resume.

"Clearly there is no understanding for our interests and goals in a part of the international community, and for this reason I plead on you to be united, to set partisan issues aside, as well as rumors which are more dangerous than guns here," the minister said to the local Serbs at Rudare today.

The crisis in the norther, predominantly Serb parts of the province started when the Kosovo Albanian government in Priština put an embargo on goods coming from central Serbia and then, on July 25, sent members of police units to take over the control of administrative checkpoints.

Local Serbs responded to the move, taken while the Belgrade-Priština dialogue is underway, by setting up roadblocks, and said they would continue the protests until the situation was "back to where it was before July 25" - when EULEX customs and Serb members of Kosovo police, KPS, were at Brnjak and Jarinje posts.

On Tuesday, head of Serbia's negotiating team in the Kosovo dialogue Borislav Stefanović underlined Priština was not yet ready for an agreement on resolution of the north Kosovo crisis, and called on Serbs to stay on barricades and not react to provocations but rather give a chance to dialogue.

Warning about “weekend warriors” and people who pretend to care from Belgrade, Stefanović called on Serbs at barricades “to restrain from incidents and unnecessary exaggerated patriotism” since the problem can be resolved only through a dialogue.

“This is not a ghetto, this is Serbia… We want people to move freely, we want to get back to the dialogue. In order for that to happen, this crisis has to be resolved in the manner that we asked for. We are waiting for a feedback. For now, Priština is not ready for the talks,” Stefanović said in Rudare.

Stefanović said that Belgrade officials have, in a way, become "undesired interlocutors".

“Things will not calm down. We have to preserve unity and peace. Today we will have difficult talks. Although there will be more subversions and provocations, you should give a chance to dialogue. You have amazed the world with your dignity and creativeness. These are the qualities that win, these are the qualities that worry them,” Stefanović said, addressing the Serbs gathered at the barricade.