Local Serbs and KFOR agree on barricades

Local Serbs on Monday morning reached agreement with KFOR and started removing barricades near the village of Jagnjenica. The location on the Zubin Potok-Zvecan road was lately the scene of several clashes between the NATO troops and the people gathered at the road block. Local Serbs and KFOR agree on barricades The agreement was pushed by Zubin Potok Mayor Slavisa Ristic, according to reports this morning. As Serbs remove the barricade, KFOR will withdraw its vehicles that have been blocking the road since last week. It will allow KFOR to set up a checkpoint that will also include local Serb members of the Kosovo police, KPS. News agencies are saying that the joint checkpoint will "relax the situation", since Serbs in the area do not wish to give a reason to the extreme part of KFOR to use force against them. Tanjug is reporting that local Serbs will continue to man another barricade nearby - set up on an "alternative road". Belgrade-based daily Blic is writing today that Slavisa Ristic received full support of other Serb mayors in the north to conclude the agreement. After KFOR attempted to remove the barricade by last week, the troops and local Serbs were locked in a standoff and clashed several times, while the military mission demanded to set up its checkpoint there. But after several days of negotiations, the result is the setting up of a joint checkpoint. Also this afternoon, Serbs removed three barricades near the Jarinje administrative crossing, on the main road from Leposavicc to Raska. The Serbs removed several piles of gravel and building waste set up on the road close to Jarinje and the area where KFOR soldiers are located. Serbs hope that after removing the barricades they will be allowed by KFOR to use the routinely controlled road they had used before, which is significantly shorter than the alternative ones. The Jarinje crossing remained in blockage due to other barricades in the interzone from the direction of central Serbia. Passengers still use alternative roads to reach northern Kosovo from central Serbia and vice versa. Mayor Ristic, right, is seen at Jagnjenica last week (Tanjug)

Local Serbs and KFOR agree on barricades

The agreement was pushed by Zubin Potok Mayor Slaviša Ristić, according to reports this morning. As Serbs remove the barricade, KFOR will withdraw its vehicles that have been blocking the road since last week.

It will allow KFOR to set up a checkpoint that will also include local Serb members of the Kosovo police, KPS.

News agencies are saying that the joint checkpoint will "relax the situation", since Serbs in the area do not wish to give a reason to the extreme part of KFOR to use force against them.

Tanjug is reporting that local Serbs will continue to man another barricade nearby - set up on an "alternative road".

Belgrade-based daily Blic is writing today that Slaviša Ristić received full support of other Serb mayors in the north to conclude the agreement.

After KFOR attempted to remove the barricade by last week, the troops and local Serbs were locked in a standoff and clashed several times, while the military mission demanded to set up its checkpoint there.

But after several days of negotiations, the result is the setting up of a joint checkpoint.

Also this afternoon, Serbs removed three barricades near the Jarinje administrative crossing, on the main road from Leposavicć to Raška.

The Serbs removed several piles of gravel and building waste set up on the road close to Jarinje and the area where KFOR soldiers are located.

Serbs hope that after removing the barricades they will be allowed by KFOR to use the routinely controlled road they had used before, which is significantly shorter than the alternative ones.

The Jarinje crossing remained in blockage due to other barricades in the interzone from the direction of central Serbia.

Passengers still use alternative roads to reach northern Kosovo from central Serbia and vice versa.