Minister: Provide security in north

Kosovska Mitrovica is calm today after a string of incidents earlier in the week. Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic arrived to this ethnically divided town today for a visit, where he met with municipal presidents of the Serb-dominated northern Kosovo, and the head of the Kosovsko-Mitrovacki District. Minister: Provide security in north After the meeting, that lasted for several hours, Bogdanovic said that it is absolutely unacceptable to have a security vacuum since the deployment of EULEX in December, and "not to know who's responsible for the security of citizens in Kosovska Mitrovica". "This violence in unacceptable, Albanian politicians aren't capable of understanding that their compatriots must live with Serbs side by side, that they must cooperate, and that it is in no one's interest to create problems and further destabilize the southern Serbian province," the minister told reporters after the meeting. Bogdanovic also said that the Serbian government has asked the international community to find those responsible for Friday's incidents in Kosovska Mitrovica as soon as possible, and inform the public about the results of that investigation. According to him, the Serbs want to cooperate with everyone, but they cannot accept to be provoked and stripped of their rights. He also stated that the EU mission in Kosovo (EULEX) had done very little or almost nothing to prevent the latest trouble. "I have to conclude that Serbia had good will and was tolerant in regards to the deployment of EULEX in this area, but EULEX had done very little or almost nothing to prevent the incidents that took place in the past several days," said Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic appealed on residents of Kosovska Mitrovica to refrain from incidents and to ignore provocations. The minister also announced a meeting with EULEX representatives for this month, adding that this is "very important in order to prevent incidents and neutralize the legal vacuum in the north of Kosovo". "We will certainly discuss the six-point plan, the way of implementing it in the field, affirmation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which is important for the survival and return of Serbs to Kosovo and Metohija," said Bogdanovic. Earlier in the day, reports said that strong KFOR troops helped by Kosovo police, KPS, and EULEX were positioned in the Bosnjacka Mahala neighborhood where several incidents took place earlier this week. A KPS spokesman it this town confirmed that the situation is now calm. Bogdanovic also today visited the firefighters recovering in hospital after a hand grenade was thrown at them while they were putting out a fire early on Saturday. In a meeting with KFOR yesterday afternoon, Serb representatives have asked for permanent checkpoints to be set up between Bosnjacka Mahala and Suvi Do, instead of sporadic patrols. This is the area where most of the incidents happened, Marko Jaksic, one of the Kosovo Serb leaders, told B92. "It's calm at this point. What the Serb representatives have asked is primarily [bearing in mind] that these are planned provocations as far as we're concerned. Ahead of the New Year a KPS patrol was attacked in Bosnjacka Mahala, then Nikola Bozovic was wounded, then a bomb was thrown at a cafe where Serbs were gathered," he explained. "After that, when the Serbs set an Albanian store on fire, Albanians threw a hand grenade at Serb firemen. Therefore we hope that these planned actions will not take place in the future," said Jaksic. Earlier, Bogdanovic said that the international community and police "must to all to bring those responsible for the bomb attack against the firefighters to justice". Bogdanovic visits one of the injured firefighters (Tanjug)

Minister: Provide security in north

After the meeting, that lasted for several hours, Bogdanović said that it is absolutely unacceptable to have a security vacuum since the deployment of EULEX in December, and "not to know who's responsible for the security of citizens in Kosovska Mitrovica".

"This violence in unacceptable, Albanian politicians aren't capable of understanding that their compatriots must live with Serbs side by side, that they must cooperate, and that it is in no one's interest to create problems and further destabilize the southern Serbian province," the minister told reporters after the meeting.

Bogdanović also said that the Serbian government has asked the international community to find those responsible for Friday's incidents in Kosovska Mitrovica as soon as possible, and inform the public about the results of that investigation.

According to him, the Serbs want to cooperate with everyone, but they cannot accept to be provoked and stripped of their rights.

He also stated that the EU mission in Kosovo (EULEX) had done very little or almost nothing to prevent the latest trouble.

"I have to conclude that Serbia had good will and was tolerant in regards to the deployment of EULEX in this area, but EULEX had done very little or almost nothing to prevent the incidents that took place in the past several days," said Bogdanović.

Bogdanović appealed on residents of Kosovska Mitrovica to refrain from incidents and to ignore provocations.

The minister also announced a meeting with EULEX representatives for this month, adding that this is "very important in order to prevent incidents and neutralize the legal vacuum in the north of Kosovo".

"We will certainly discuss the six-point plan, the way of implementing it in the field, affirmation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which is important for the survival and return of Serbs to Kosovo and Metohija," said Bogdanović.

Earlier in the day, reports said that strong KFOR troops helped by Kosovo police, KPS, and EULEX were positioned in the Bošnjačka Mahala neighborhood where several incidents took place earlier this week.

A KPS spokesman it this town confirmed that the situation is now calm.

Bogdanović also today visited the firefighters recovering in hospital after a hand grenade was thrown at them while they were putting out a fire early on Saturday.

In a meeting with KFOR yesterday afternoon, Serb representatives have asked for permanent checkpoints to be set up between Bošnjačka Mahala and Suvi Do, instead of sporadic patrols.

This is the area where most of the incidents happened, Marko Jakšić, one of the Kosovo Serb leaders, told B92.

"It's calm at this point. What the Serb representatives have asked is primarily [bearing in mind] that these are planned provocations as far as we're concerned. Ahead of the New Year a KPS patrol was attacked in Bošnjačka Mahala, then Nikola Božović was wounded, then a bomb was thrown at a cafe where Serbs were gathered," he explained.

"After that, when the Serbs set an Albanian store on fire, Albanians threw a hand grenade at Serb firemen. Therefore we hope that these planned actions will not take place in the future," said Jakšić.

Earlier, Bogdanović said that the international community and police "must to all to bring those responsible for the bomb attack against the firefighters to justice".