"Institutions in Kosovo must be preserved"

Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic has said that in 2012, "everything must be done to preserve Serbian institutions in the province". "After the agreement was reached over the management of administrative crossings, barricades should be removed, the goal of their existence has been fulfilled and there is no further need for people to expose themselves to danger," he told Zvecan-based TV Most. "Institutions in Kosovo must be preserved" Bogdanovic added that Serbia always supported citizens' peaceful protests, not only in northern - predominantly Serb - part of Kosovo, but in the rest of the province as well, "and all those who fight for human rights": "The state of Serbia will continue to support its people in Kosovo and Metohija, will fight for the interest of the people, and in that way for its interest in those areas." According to the minister, it will be possible to reach a compromise - "regardless of the fact that a part of the international community supports (ethnic) Albanians". Bogdanovic asserted that the latest agreement reached during the Kosovo talks in Brussels - that on "integrated border management" - was in line with the country's constitution and UN Resolution 1244, and that the government "already reacted regarding the money that need to be set aside for mandatory insurance when the administrative line between Serbia and Kosovo is crossed". "There will be a meeting in Vienna in mid-January... I was the first to speak against charging either for entry or exit from Kosovo and Metohija," he said, and added that the fees were "set by insurance companies, not Serbia". Speaking about the announced Serb referendum in the north, Bogdanovic once again stated that it was "not necessary, and would not solve problems": "Everyone is clear on the fact that Serbs in the north do not want Kosovo (Albanian) institutions, and there's no reason to waste energy to prove what is already known." Bogdanovic noted that while he "can understand that the citizens in the north do not accept Kosovo and international institutions", he found it difficult to understand that they "do not accept the opinion and position of Serbia". "The state of Serbia will never dismantle its institutions in Kosovo and Metohija, and thanks to those, Serbs have survived in the province," he said, warning at the same time that "nobody had the right to lead several tens of thousands of Serbs into conflicts with their own state", and that the Serbian government "must be respected". "Because of the goings-on in northern Kosovo, Serbs south of the Ibar (River) are worried, and my message to them is that the state will continue to finance its institutions in that area," the minister stated. According to him, his ministry's budget for 2012 had been increased, "which speaks clearly that the assistance to Serbs will be more intense". "All monuments of culture and monasteries will remain a part of the cultural treasure that the state will never renounce," said he. "The Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija is settings aside significant funds for that purpose and nobody has the right to declare as theirs what is ours," Bogdanovic said of attempts to have Serb Orthodox heritage in the province presented as "Kosovo's heritage". The minister also called on the citizens to "preserve peace" - since, according to him, "everything else will happen by itself". (Beta, file) Beta TV Most

"Institutions in Kosovo must be preserved"

Bogdanović added that Serbia always supported citizens' peaceful protests, not only in northern - predominantly Serb - part of Kosovo, but in the rest of the province as well, "and all those who fight for human rights":

"The state of Serbia will continue to support its people in Kosovo and Metohija, will fight for the interest of the people, and in that way for its interest in those areas."

According to the minister, it will be possible to reach a compromise - "regardless of the fact that a part of the international community supports (ethnic) Albanians".

Bogdanović asserted that the latest agreement reached during the Kosovo talks in Brussels - that on "integrated border management" - was in line with the country's constitution and UN Resolution 1244, and that the government "already reacted regarding the money that need to be set aside for mandatory insurance when the administrative line between Serbia and Kosovo is crossed".

"There will be a meeting in Vienna in mid-January... I was the first to speak against charging either for entry or exit from Kosovo and Metohija," he said, and added that the fees were "set by insurance companies, not Serbia".

Speaking about the announced Serb referendum in the north, Bogdanović once again stated that it was "not necessary, and would not solve problems":

"Everyone is clear on the fact that Serbs in the north do not want Kosovo (Albanian) institutions, and there's no reason to waste energy to prove what is already known."

Bogdanović noted that while he "can understand that the citizens in the north do not accept Kosovo and international institutions", he found it difficult to understand that they "do not accept the opinion and position of Serbia".

"The state of Serbia will never dismantle its institutions in Kosovo and Metohija, and thanks to those, Serbs have survived in the province," he said, warning at the same time that "nobody had the right to lead several tens of thousands of Serbs into conflicts with their own state", and that the Serbian government "must be respected".

"Because of the goings-on in northern Kosovo, Serbs south of the Ibar (River) are worried, and my message to them is that the state will continue to finance its institutions in that area," the minister stated.

According to him, his ministry's budget for 2012 had been increased, "which speaks clearly that the assistance to Serbs will be more intense".

"All monuments of culture and monasteries will remain a part of the cultural treasure that the state will never renounce," said he.

"The Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija is settings aside significant funds for that purpose and nobody has the right to declare as theirs what is ours," Bogdanović said of attempts to have Serb Orthodox heritage in the province presented as "Kosovo's heritage".

The minister also called on the citizens to "preserve peace" - since, according to him, "everything else will happen by itself".