Intelligence agency chief reports to committee

BIA Director Sasa Vukadinovic says this intelligence agency has dedicated its full capacity to locating and arresting the remaining Hague fugitives. “The absolute priority in our work is to locate the remaining two Hague fugitives, most notably Ratko Mladic,” Vukadinovic said at a meeting of the Parliamentary Defense and Security Committee in Belgrade on Wednesday. Intelligence agency chief reports to committee He noted that the arrest of the fugitives is not only BIA’s responsibility, but the responsibility of all other state institutions. The BIA chief added that the agency forwarded all material requested by the Hague Tribunal, both for the prosecution and defense teams. Vukadinovic said that the security situation in Serbia is stable, but that security risks do exist. In his report to the committee covering the period between March and October 2009, he stated that the most important segment of the security agency’s work is to fight separatism and terrorism related to the illegal declaration of Kosovo’s independence. According to Vukadinovic, it has been noticed that the separatist leaders of the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija now exhibit a tendency to try and “put the territory of the province under their control in some other way.” He said that in 2009, Albanians tried to forcefully move into northern sections of the town of Kosovska Mitrovica, adding that there were armed conflicts in the community of Brdjani. Vukadinovic added that there were also other forms of pressure against the Serbs there, stating that their property was seized, criminal allegations were fabricated against them, while energy sources were cut off. Vukadinovic warned that all this “does not rule out the possibility that illegal armed formations of Albanians in Kosovo exist that were not used in 2009, but could be used in 2010”. Vukadinovic is seen in parliament today (Beta) “55 services, from 40 countries” Vukadinovic also answered questions from the members of the committee today, to say that there are 55 foreign security services from 40 countries in Serbia, and added that they all have associates who are the agency's “subject of interest”. Answering a question posed by the Serb Radical Party (SRS) committee members, Vukadinovic underlined that there are authorized representatives of foreign security services in the country and that this is not “an questionable issue”, pointing out that Serbia also has its representatives in other countries. “There are foreign security services in Belgrade and Serbia cooperates with 55 of such services coming from 40 countries,” he said, and stressed that they their associates, who are the subject of BIA's interest, “work outside the procedures”, but that he “cannot talk about that in public”. When asked about BIA's operations in Kosovo and Metohija, Vukadinovic explained that the work of the agency in that field is “made harder by the fact that it cannot be physically present in Kosovo”, and that because of this, “all the security operations are undertaken by international powers”. But, according to a Tanjug report, Vukadinovic “underscored that BIA does all it can to protect Serbs in Kosovo”.

Intelligence agency chief reports to committee

He noted that the arrest of the fugitives is not only BIA’s responsibility, but the responsibility of all other state institutions.

The BIA chief added that the agency forwarded all material requested by the Hague Tribunal, both for the prosecution and defense teams.

Vukadinović said that the security situation in Serbia is stable, but that security risks do exist.

In his report to the committee covering the period between March and October 2009, he stated that the most important segment of the security agency’s work is to fight separatism and terrorism related to the illegal declaration of Kosovo’s independence.

According to Vukadinović, it has been noticed that the separatist leaders of the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija now exhibit a tendency to try and “put the territory of the province under their control in some other way.”

He said that in 2009, Albanians tried to forcefully move into northern sections of the town of Kosovska Mitrovica, adding that there were armed conflicts in the community of Brđani.

Vukadinović added that there were also other forms of pressure against the Serbs there, stating that their property was seized, criminal allegations were fabricated against them, while energy sources were cut off.

Vukadinović warned that all this “does not rule out the possibility that illegal armed formations of Albanians in Kosovo exist that were not used in 2009, but could be used in 2010”.

“55 services, from 40 countries”

Vukadinović also answered questions from the members of the committee today, to say that there are 55 foreign security services from 40 countries in Serbia, and added that they all have associates who are the agency's “subject of interest”.

Answering a question posed by the Serb Radical Party (SRS) committee members, Vukadinović underlined that there are authorized representatives of foreign security services in the country and that this is not “an questionable issue”, pointing out that Serbia also has its representatives in other countries.

“There are foreign security services in Belgrade and Serbia cooperates with 55 of such services coming from 40 countries,” he said, and stressed that they their associates, who are the subject of BIA's interest, “work outside the procedures”, but that he “cannot talk about that in public”.

When asked about BIA's operations in Kosovo and Metohija, Vukadinović explained that the work of the agency in that field is “made harder by the fact that it cannot be physically present in Kosovo”, and that because of this, “all the security operations are undertaken by international powers”.

But, according to a Tanjug report, Vukadinović “underscored that BIA does all it can to protect Serbs in Kosovo”.