Dačić: Draft for EULEX cooperation finished

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed that the draft for the protocol for cooperation between the Interior Ministry (MUP) and EULEX has been completed. He said that it is most important to preserve peace in Kosovo, because victims of conflicts in that region are usually Serbs. Dacic: Draft for EULEX cooperation finished “It is in our best interest to do everything we can to stop crime in these territories of ours as well, and that is why the Interior Ministry is ready to sign a protocol for operative cooperation between our police and EULEX,” Dacic said. He said that after many months of talks regarding the issue, the document has finally been drafted. Dacic said that cooperation between Serbian police and the international bodies in Kosovo, UNMIK and EULEX, is necessary whether it has to do with crime groups which keep moving from one side of the administrative crossing to the other, or terrorism, drug and weapons smuggling, and other crimes. State Secretary in the Serbian Kosovo Ministry, Oliver Ivanovic, said earlier that he expects that a cooperation protocol will be signed soon between EULEX and the Interior Ministry. “The MUP would be able to provide more precise information on that. It is no secret that such cooperation with the international police bodies in Kosovo was begun by the coordination center in Kursumlija back in 1999,” Ivanovic told daily Politika. Pristina daily Koha Ditore stated on Saturday that a protocol is expected to be signed for police cooperation and the exchange of information between EULEX and the Serbian MUP, in an effort to stem organized crime and other illegal activities occurring cross-border. EULEX officials did not deny the possibility of signing such a protocol, according to the daily, stating that EULEX has certain authorities which were agreed upon before the mission arrived to Kosovo. The Kosovo government stated, however, that EULEX does not have the mandate for signing international agreements, and that it has not been informed of the possible agreement with the Serbian MUP. Ivanovic said that leaving the Kosovo government out of the agreement was expected, because it is clear that “Serbia will never initiate cooperation with the institutions of an unrecognized country.” “However, there is a possibility that EULEX will create a bilateral agreement, one with Belgrade and one with Pristina, then that would be able to function,” Ivanovic said. Ivica Dacic (FoNet archive)

Dačić: Draft for EULEX cooperation finished

“It is in our best interest to do everything we can to stop crime in these territories of ours as well, and that is why the Interior Ministry is ready to sign a protocol for operative cooperation between our police and EULEX,” Dačić said.

He said that after many months of talks regarding the issue, the document has finally been drafted.

Dačić said that cooperation between Serbian police and the international bodies in Kosovo, UNMIK and EULEX, is necessary whether it has to do with crime groups which keep moving from one side of the administrative crossing to the other, or terrorism, drug and weapons smuggling, and other crimes.

State Secretary in the Serbian Kosovo Ministry, Oliver Ivanović, said earlier that he expects that a cooperation protocol will be signed soon between EULEX and the Interior Ministry.

“The MUP would be able to provide more precise information on that. It is no secret that such cooperation with the international police bodies in Kosovo was begun by the coordination center in Kuršumlija back in 1999,” Ivanović told daily Politika.

Priština daily Koha Ditore stated on Saturday that a protocol is expected to be signed for police cooperation and the exchange of information between EULEX and the Serbian MUP, in an effort to stem organized crime and other illegal activities occurring cross-border.

EULEX officials did not deny the possibility of signing such a protocol, according to the daily, stating that EULEX has certain authorities which were agreed upon before the mission arrived to Kosovo.

The Kosovo government stated, however, that EULEX does not have the mandate for signing international agreements, and that it has not been informed of the possible agreement with the Serbian MUP.

Ivanović said that leaving the Kosovo government out of the agreement was expected, because it is clear that “Serbia will never initiate cooperation with the institutions of an unrecognized country.”

“However, there is a possibility that EULEX will create a bilateral agreement, one with Belgrade and one with Priština, then that would be able to function,” Ivanović said.