Minister expects deal with KFOR to be respected

Goran Bogdanovic expects the interim agreement between the Serbian government and KFOR regarding the crisis in northern Kosovo to be respected. Speaking for Tanjug news agency on Tuesday, the minister for Kosovo stated that the interruption of a meeting between representatives of four municipalities regarding the agreement and unblocking the roads sent a negative message to citizens of northern Kosovo. Minister expects deal with KFOR to be respected Bogdanovic expressed suspicion that "certain (political) parties from Belgrade had a hand in the adoption of such a decision". "The unity we strove for is now in jeopardy and phone calls by representatives of some political parties are absolutely unacceptable," Bogdanovic said and added that it was "intolerable for someone sitting in their comfortable armchairs in Belgrade to call for such schism and disunity". He added that he "believe in people in northern Kosovo who spent previous 13 days on the barricades", and added that the realization of the agreement between the Serbian government and KFOR would now gradually start. “Perhaps it is important for someone to use the situation in northern Kosovo for their daily political and party interests, but I am sure that people would recognize this and show respect for the agreement between Serbia and the international community,” Bogdanovic said. The joint meeting between representatives of three municipalities, Kosovska Mitrovica, Leposavic and Zvecan, was interrupted in Leposavic on Tuesday because Zubin Potok representatives failed to appear. The officials agreed that each municipality should individually review the interim agreement. Ahead of the beginning of the meeting, Zubin Potok municipal president Slavisa Ristic told reporters that representatives of the town did not attend the meeting because they believe that it is up to the Serbian parliament, not municipal representatives, to state their view with regard to the interim agreement. The officials agreed that municipal assemblies should hold meetings independently to discuss the interim agreement, but the exact date of the sittings was not specified. Leposavic Mayor Bosko Ninic told reporters that local administration did not have powers to approve or reject the agreement, and explained that municipal emergency HQs set up after the attempt of the Kosovo Albanian authorities to take over the Brnjak and Jarinje checkpoints could decide on whether to remove barricades from the roads leading to the two outposts. (Tanjug, file) "Artificially created expectations" The state accepted the interim agreement between the Serbian government and KFOR and it is up to local bodies in northern Kosovo to realize it, head of Belgrade's negotiating team Borislav Stefanovic stated on Tuesday. He said that the expectation for local government bodies to accept the interim agreement was created by artificial means, adding that the delay of the joint meeting between representatives of three northern Kosovo-Metohija municipalities is not a dramatic event. The expectation for local government bodies to adopt the agreement has been created artificially but it is not up to them to accept the agreement, Stefanovic told Tanjug and added that the agreement was accepted by the state and it is up to local governments to realist it in the field. When asked whether the Tuesday delay of the joint session would imply a delay in the realization of the agreement, Stefanovic said that this is a sensitive process that will have several stages and expressed belief that the situation in the field would slowly flow into normal courses. Stefanovic underscored that discord and disunity have to be avoided, adding that the Tuesday events "should not be dramatized at any cost" Through talks with Serbs in northern Kosovo and local leaderships, we intend to try and make it possible for tensions to be reduced and the situation to get normalized, so that we could re-open the dialogue with Pristina in September without this crisis, Stefanovic said. The first topic in the continuation of the dialogue with Pristina will refer to customs stamps, Stefanovic recalled and added that he would insist that the stamps should be in keeping with Resolution 1244 and that the accompanying customs documentation should be status-neutral.

Minister expects deal with KFOR to be respected

Bogdanović expressed suspicion that "certain (political) parties from Belgrade had a hand in the adoption of such a decision".

"The unity we strove for is now in jeopardy and phone calls by representatives of some political parties are absolutely unacceptable," Bogdanović said and added that it was "intolerable for someone sitting in their comfortable armchairs in Belgrade to call for such schism and disunity".

He added that he "believe in people in northern Kosovo who spent previous 13 days on the barricades", and added that the realization of the agreement between the Serbian government and KFOR would now gradually start.

“Perhaps it is important for someone to use the situation in northern Kosovo for their daily political and party interests, but I am sure that people would recognize this and show respect for the agreement between Serbia and the international community,” Bogdanović said.

The joint meeting between representatives of three municipalities, Kosovska Mitrovica, Leposavić and Zvečan, was interrupted in Leposavić on Tuesday because Zubin Potok representatives failed to appear.

The officials agreed that each municipality should individually review the interim agreement.

Ahead of the beginning of the meeting, Zubin Potok municipal president Slaviša Ristić told reporters that representatives of the town did not attend the meeting because they believe that it is up to the Serbian parliament, not municipal representatives, to state their view with regard to the interim agreement.

The officials agreed that municipal assemblies should hold meetings independently to discuss the interim agreement, but the exact date of the sittings was not specified.

Leposavić Mayor Boško Ninić told reporters that local administration did not have powers to approve or reject the agreement, and explained that municipal emergency HQs set up after the attempt of the Kosovo Albanian authorities to take over the Brnjak and Jarinje checkpoints could decide on whether to remove barricades from the roads leading to the two outposts.

"Artificially created expectations"

The state accepted the interim agreement between the Serbian government and KFOR and it is up to local bodies in northern Kosovo to realize it, head of Belgrade's negotiating team Borislav Stefanović stated on Tuesday.

He said that the expectation for local government bodies to accept the interim agreement was created by artificial means, adding that the delay of the joint meeting between representatives of three northern Kosovo-Metohija municipalities is not a dramatic event.

The expectation for local government bodies to adopt the agreement has been created artificially but it is not up to them to accept the agreement, Stefanović told Tanjug and added that the agreement was accepted by the state and it is up to local governments to realist it in the field.

When asked whether the Tuesday delay of the joint session would imply a delay in the realization of the agreement, Stefanović said that this is a sensitive process that will have several stages and expressed belief that the situation in the field would slowly flow into normal courses.

Stefanović underscored that discord and disunity have to be avoided, adding that the Tuesday events "should not be dramatized at any cost"

Through talks with Serbs in northern Kosovo and local leaderships, we intend to try and make it possible for tensions to be reduced and the situation to get normalized, so that we could re-open the dialogue with Pristina in September without this crisis, Stefanović said.

The first topic in the continuation of the dialogue with Pristina will refer to customs stamps, Stefanović recalled and added that he would insist that the stamps should be in keeping with Resolution 1244 and that the accompanying customs documentation should be status-neutral.