President: New provocation from Priština

Serbian President Boris Tadic called the destruction of the Telekom Srbija's property in Kosovo "a new kind of provocation". He added that this would not contribute to the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, which is to begin under the auspices of the European Union. President: New provocation from Pristina "Today we are making every attempt to prevent such provocations and to re-enable telecommunication systems so that telephone signal could reach all citizens living in Kosovo, regardless of ethnicity", Tadic said. “We are convinced that the state-owned carrier has all the rights and licenses necessary for its operation, properly obtained in the second half of the nineties", Tadic told reporters during his visit to Sombor. According to him, Serbia will not stand down on its rights and property. "The very question of rights of property and assets shall be a topic of discussions and dialogue that we (Belgrade and Pristina) expect in the near future," he added. Tadic said that Serbia will talk with "all the factors in international politics about the provocation." "Unfortunately, we could do nothing to prevent this provocation, because we had learned our relay units were going to be dismantled immediately before the actual dismantling began", the Serbian president said. Tadic called the nationalistic messages that appeared on the Telekom Srbija's equipment “outrageous”. Certain pieces of equipment had written messages of hatred against Serbs. Boris Tadic (Tanjug) Army won't react Minister of Defense Dragan Sutanovac said in Novi Sad that Serbian Army would not interfere in the issues surrounding the severing of telephone lines in Kosovo. "As you may know, pursuant to the Kumanovo agreement, the Serbian Army cannot be present in Kosovo", the minister was quoted as saying. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the interruption of the telephone lines belonging to the Serbian carriers in Kosovo: "The people who can decide about this issue in Kosovo are doing that in an absolutely uncivilized way, making such decisions as to deny the possibility of communication to those citizens using Telekom Srbija's network.” Sutanovac anticipated that incident would certainly be the topic of future talks between Belgrade and Pristina, as the issue of telephony was essential to citizens living in Kosovo. "Obviously, there is someone who does want the talks to start with the positive energy, but wants to create an atmosphere of tension, an atmosphere in which the exchange of negative energy would be the only possible way", the minister said. Those in Kosovo who are trying to show that "by using force and a cutting axe" they can disrupt the communications were asked for patience by Minister Sutanovac. "It is no secret that for years now there have been people in Kosovo who do nothing but create problems which are their only satisfaction. On the other hand, I am convinced that we shall find a solution to ensure people have access to communications", the minister said. He added that the Ministry of Defense will participate in future negotiations on technical issues if the issues concerning the defense system should arise, "but these are mainly issues that we discuss with KFOR. Therefore, our partner in these talks is not Pristina, but KFOR", Sutanovac said. According to the minister, the security situation in southern Serbia is stable despite “certain tensions ”which were escalated by cutting off telecommunications in Kosovo. Dragan Sutanovac

President: New provocation from Priština

"Today we are making every attempt to prevent such provocations and to re-enable telecommunication systems so that telephone signal could reach all citizens living in Kosovo, regardless of ethnicity", Tadić said.

“We are convinced that the state-owned carrier has all the rights and licenses necessary for its operation, properly obtained in the second half of the nineties", Tadić told reporters during his visit to Sombor.

According to him, Serbia will not stand down on its rights and property.

"The very question of rights of property and assets shall be a topic of discussions and dialogue that we (Belgrade and Priština) expect in the near future," he added.

Tadić said that Serbia will talk with "all the factors in international politics about the provocation."

"Unfortunately, we could do nothing to prevent this provocation, because we had learned our relay units were going to be dismantled immediately before the actual dismantling began", the Serbian president said.

Tadić called the nationalistic messages that appeared on the Telekom Srbija's equipment “outrageous”. Certain pieces of equipment had written messages of hatred against Serbs.

Army won't react

Minister of Defense Dragan Šutanovac said in Novi Sad that Serbian Army would not interfere in the issues surrounding the severing of telephone lines in Kosovo.

"As you may know, pursuant to the Kumanovo agreement, the Serbian Army cannot be present in Kosovo", the minister was quoted as saying.

He expressed his dissatisfaction with the interruption of the telephone lines belonging to the Serbian carriers in Kosovo: "The people who can decide about this issue in Kosovo are doing that in an absolutely uncivilized way, making such decisions as to deny the possibility of communication to those citizens using Telekom Srbija's network.”

Šutanovac anticipated that incident would certainly be the topic of future talks between Belgrade and Priština, as the issue of telephony was essential to citizens living in Kosovo.

"Obviously, there is someone who does want the talks to start with the positive energy, but wants to create an atmosphere of tension, an atmosphere in which the exchange of negative energy would be the only possible way", the minister said.

Those in Kosovo who are trying to show that "by using force and a cutting axe" they can disrupt the communications were asked for patience by Minister Šutanovac.

"It is no secret that for years now there have been people in Kosovo who do nothing but create problems which are their only satisfaction. On the other hand, I am convinced that we shall find a solution to ensure people have access to communications", the minister said.

He added that the Ministry of Defense will participate in future negotiations on technical issues if the issues concerning the defense system should arise, "but these are mainly issues that we discuss with KFOR. Therefore, our partner in these talks is not Priština, but KFOR", Šutanovac said.

According to the minister, the security situation in southern Serbia is stable despite “certain tensions ”which were escalated by cutting off telecommunications in Kosovo.