Czech envoy on lawless, criminal north

Frustration is growing in Kosovo and unless EULEX implements laws, there could be violence, says Janina Hrebickova, appointed as Czech ambassador in Kosovo.

Izvor: Beta

Tuesday, 05.10.2010.

11:50

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Frustration is growing in Kosovo and unless EULEX implements laws, there could be violence, says Janina Hrebickova, appointed as Czech ambassador in Kosovo. She told Prague daily Pravo that violence could break out unless EULEX arrested Serb and other criminals. Czech envoy on lawless, criminal north Hrebickova went on to say that security was guaranteed in 80 percent of the territory of Kosovo, except in the north, and that taxpayers in countries that sent their soldiers to serve in KFOR no longer had to pay for them. "For 11 years in northern Kosovo international UN administration for political reasons turned a blind eye and left paramilitary and criminal groups alone. They are doing as they please there, lawlessness is flourishing. Anything is being smuggled there, drugs, prostitutes, and Serbs and Albanians take part," according to this diplomat. Hrebickova also gave the example of coexistence of Serbs and ethnic Albanians south of the Ibar River, and said she expected EULEX to start exerting pressure to implement laws. "In the south, Serbs and Albanians are in the same boat and that's why they're beginning to build joint local self-governments. And since most don't have jobs they're all in about the same situation," Beta news agency quoted the envoy as telling the newspaper. She also added that Albanians, Serbs and Turks have realized that this is their home and that they have European perspective, "and don't care if this happens in ten years". The north of Kosovo is predominantly inhabited by Serbs, who reject the authority of the Kosovo Albanian government in Pristina, and the unilateral declaration of independence made by Kosovo's Albanians in early 2008.

Czech envoy on lawless, criminal north

Hrebickova went on to say that security was guaranteed in 80 percent of the territory of Kosovo, except in the north, and that taxpayers in countries that sent their soldiers to serve in KFOR no longer had to pay for them.

"For 11 years in northern Kosovo international UN administration for political reasons turned a blind eye and left paramilitary and criminal groups alone. They are doing as they please there, lawlessness is flourishing. Anything is being smuggled there, drugs, prostitutes, and Serbs and Albanians take part," according to this diplomat.

Hrebickova also gave the example of coexistence of Serbs and ethnic Albanians south of the Ibar River, and said she expected EULEX to start exerting pressure to implement laws.

"In the south, Serbs and Albanians are in the same boat and that's why they're beginning to build joint local self-governments. And since most don't have jobs they're all in about the same situation," Beta news agency quoted the envoy as telling the newspaper. She also added that Albanians, Serbs and Turks have realized that this is their home and that they have European perspective, "and don't care if this happens in ten years".

The north of Kosovo is predominantly inhabited by Serbs, who reject the authority of the Kosovo Albanian government in Priština, and the unilateral declaration of independence made by Kosovo's Albanians in early 2008.

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