Priština is hub of crime, says Kosovo Ministry official

The center of organized crime in Kosovo and Metohija is Pristina, rather than the north of the province, Kosovo Ministry State Secretary Oliver Ivanovic says. Ivanovic added he was not satisfied with the situation in the northern, Serb-dominated part of the province, pointing out that that part of Kosovo indeed had organized crime links with Pristina, but, if we traced them back, we could see it was Pristina that needed to “clean up its yard.” Pristina is hub of crime, says Kosovo Ministry official "The authorities in Pristina are talking about law enforcement while trying to strengthen the police or KFOR presence in the Kosovo north, but a better law enforcement in the north should be a result of an initiative by citizens," he said. "Every time a problem is being presented and approached as the single problem in Kosovo, Serbs are getting homogenized because they see such actions as attacks on the north," Ivanovic said told the Zvecan-based TV Most. He said that the Serb side was not protecting criminals. The Kosovo Ministry official also said that the government was seeking "a format for the functioning of the north of the province" - which is mostly inhabited by Serbs, who reject the authority of the government in Pristina, as well as the Kosovo Albanian UDI made in early 2008. There are many young people in the north who see their future there, said Ivanovic. "What we must say openly is that new jobs in the state administration, health and education sectors will be brought to a minimum, with only experts finding jobs there. A majority of people should be employed in small businesses or as entrepreneurs," said he.

Priština is hub of crime, says Kosovo Ministry official

"The authorities in Priština are talking about law enforcement while trying to strengthen the police or KFOR presence in the Kosovo north, but a better law enforcement in the north should be a result of an initiative by citizens," he said.

"Every time a problem is being presented and approached as the single problem in Kosovo, Serbs are getting homogenized because they see such actions as attacks on the north," Ivanović said told the Zvečan-based TV Most.

He said that the Serb side was not protecting criminals.

The Kosovo Ministry official also said that the government was seeking "a format for the functioning of the north of the province" - which is mostly inhabited by Serbs, who reject the authority of the government in Priština, as well as the Kosovo Albanian UDI made in early 2008.

There are many young people in the north who see their future there, said Ivanović.

"What we must say openly is that new jobs in the state administration, health and education sectors will be brought to a minimum, with only experts finding jobs there. A majority of people should be employed in small businesses or as entrepreneurs," said he.