Arrests “prove Serbia wants to resolve situation”

Balkan Trust for Democracy Director Ivan Vejvoda believes that Zvonko Veselinovic’s arrest proves Serbia is determined to calm down the situation in Kosovo. Veselinovic and his brother Zarko were arrested Tuesday at Mt. Kopaonik, central Serbia. They are suspected of involvement in criminal activities in northern Kosovo. Arrests “prove Serbia wants to resolve situation” According to Vejvoda, the news of their arrest is more than welcome and represents a signal that Belgrade is ready to tackle the organized crime. He repeated that Serbian President Boris Tadic had stated several months earlier that Veselinovic was a criminal. He, however, wonders why the suspect had not been arrested back then. Vejvoda says it should be looked into Veselinovic’s contacts in order to find out who was helping him, especially since he is believed to have organized violence at the administrative crossings. According to him, northern Kosovo is an “off-shore” zone for criminal activities and that the problem needs to be dealt with. Vejvoda does not think that the arrests have anything to do with abolition of the so-called parallel institutions and believes that it is a proof of Serbia’s determination to tackle crime. “A solution to the Kosovo issue should be sought inside the framework that Tadic has already mentioned and those are autonomy, protection of rights, monasteries and property,” he stressed, adding that this should be a “backbone” of the solution. The Balkan Trust for Democracy director noted that the lives of the people in Kosovo were important, just like it was important whether 7.5 million of Serbian citizens would have a job. “We need to solve the Kosovo issue for our own sake,” Vejvoda added. He could not confirm that recognition of Kosovo’s independence was a condition for the EU candidate status but he did say that Serbia should focus on internal reforms considering that the EU membership was still far away. Ivan Vejvoda

Arrests “prove Serbia wants to resolve situation”

According to Vejvoda, the news of their arrest is more than welcome and represents a signal that Belgrade is ready to tackle the organized crime.

He repeated that Serbian President Boris Tadić had stated several months earlier that Veselinović was a criminal. He, however, wonders why the suspect had not been arrested back then.

Vejvoda says it should be looked into Veselinović’s contacts in order to find out who was helping him, especially since he is believed to have organized violence at the administrative crossings.

According to him, northern Kosovo is an “off-shore” zone for criminal activities and that the problem needs to be dealt with.

Vejvoda does not think that the arrests have anything to do with abolition of the so-called parallel institutions and believes that it is a proof of Serbia’s determination to tackle crime.

“A solution to the Kosovo issue should be sought inside the framework that Tadić has already mentioned and those are autonomy, protection of rights, monasteries and property,” he stressed, adding that this should be a “backbone” of the solution.

The Balkan Trust for Democracy director noted that the lives of the people in Kosovo were important, just like it was important whether 7.5 million of Serbian citizens would have a job.

“We need to solve the Kosovo issue for our own sake,” Vejvoda added.

He could not confirm that recognition of Kosovo’s independence was a condition for the EU candidate status but he did say that Serbia should focus on internal reforms considering that the EU membership was still far away.