"Serbia, Serbs oppose Kosovo armed forces"

Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanovic says that Serbia and the Kosovo Serbs oppose the formation of any Kosovo security forces, particularly uni-national ones. “It’s unnecessary right now to form any new armed forces when Kosovo is already becoming a powder keg and when you already have 350,000 to 400,000 long barrels in Kosovo,“ Bogdanovic told B92. "Serbia, Serbs oppose Kosovo armed forces" Bogdanovic said that “there is no difference between these forces and the infamous KLA, which simply underwent a makeover or took off its uniforms and handed over its responsibilities to the Kosovo Protection Corps, which has handed over its responsibilities to the newly-formed Kosovo Protection Corps.“ He called for demilitarization of the whole province, as only this could help establish adequate security, not just in Kosovo, but throughout the region. The minister said that he would highlight the foolhardiness of forming such security forces in talks with representatives of the international community and the EU, since it was a move that could only compound the situation in Kosovo. Speaking of diplomatic and legal mechanisms for blocking the formation of armed forces, he said that it was a contravention of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, under which KFOR was the only armed formation in the province. Bogdanovic said that he believed in the international community, particularly EULEX, even though that mission, he said, had shown itself to be ineffective at the start of its mandate and had failed to carry out its assignments, particularly with regards to the events in northern Kosovska Mitrovica. The minister said that Belgrade was ready to begin talks immediately with UNMIK and EULEX over implementation of the UN Security Council six-point plan, and that Belgrade would insist on these talks beginning as soon as possible, as those six points were vital for the further survival of the Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo. He added that it was unacceptable that there should be a legal and security vacuum in Kosovo, and that “certain things“ were happening for which “no-one is responsible“, stressing that Belgrade wanted to speak with the Albanians as soon as possible in order to resolve, first and foremost, the issue of Kosovo’s status. Asked about the possibility of opening a EULEX office in Belgrade, to be called an “EU Office“ that would liaise between Belgrade and EULEX, Bogdanovic said that he had nothing against the idea. It would act as a direct link with the office of EU Foreign and Security Policy Chief Javier Solana in order “to have permanent communication.“ Goran Bogdanovic (Beta, archive)

"Serbia, Serbs oppose Kosovo armed forces"

Bogdanović said that “there is no difference between these forces and the infamous KLA, which simply underwent a makeover or took off its uniforms and handed over its responsibilities to the Kosovo Protection Corps, which has handed over its responsibilities to the newly-formed Kosovo Protection Corps.“

He called for demilitarization of the whole province, as only this could help establish adequate security, not just in Kosovo, but throughout the region.

The minister said that he would highlight the foolhardiness of forming such security forces in talks with representatives of the international community and the EU, since it was a move that could only compound the situation in Kosovo.

Speaking of diplomatic and legal mechanisms for blocking the formation of armed forces, he said that it was a contravention of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, under which KFOR was the only armed formation in the province.

Bogdanović said that he believed in the international community, particularly EULEX, even though that mission, he said, had shown itself to be ineffective at the start of its mandate and had failed to carry out its assignments, particularly with regards to the events in northern Kosovska Mitrovica.

The minister said that Belgrade was ready to begin talks immediately with UNMIK and EULEX over implementation of the UN Security Council six-point plan, and that Belgrade would insist on these talks beginning as soon as possible, as those six points were vital for the further survival of the Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo.

He added that it was unacceptable that there should be a legal and security vacuum in Kosovo, and that “certain things“ were happening for which “no-one is responsible“, stressing that Belgrade wanted to speak with the Albanians as soon as possible in order to resolve, first and foremost, the issue of Kosovo’s status.

Asked about the possibility of opening a EULEX office in Belgrade, to be called an “EU Office“ that would liaise between Belgrade and EULEX, Bogdanović said that he had nothing against the idea. It would act as a direct link with the office of EU Foreign and Security Policy Chief Javier Solana in order “to have permanent communication.“