Official announces "further talks" over Preševo memorial

BELGRADE An UCPMB memorial that was removed from Presevo over the weekend will not be destroyed and will be the subject of further talks, says Zoran Stankovic. The chief of the Coordinating Body for Southern Serbia spoke for B92 on Tuesday to add that "tensions in the south have been created artificially": Official announces "further talks" over Presevo memorial "Everything that's been happening is a much more complex political question. A game is being played that we have already seen, an attempt to secure better negotiating positions, to use the moment in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, because some would like to draw parallels between that area and northern Kosovo." According to Stankovic, the situation there is now under control, while "constant contact and discussion with representatives of Albanians and the local self-government will decrease tensions". He also stated that the situation that had developed related to the memorial "was used for numerous manipulations". Belgrade suggested that the structure be removed from the public area, and to set a deadline to talk about the subject for the beginning of June or July - a discussion "that would also be about the memorial for Gendarmes in the village of Lucane". "After that a final decision would be made about if and where such a memorial could be placed. It is yet to be talked about, it will not be destroyed, it will be discussed with the local self-government, and we are now awaiting an official request from them, that will then be decided on. We asked them what they were proposing, we want a civilized solution, we cannot say yes or no immediately, because there are procedures. When they file a request, then the authorities will decide," Stankovic said. He also stressed that those who for originally placing the memorial in downtown Presevo "outside of all procedures" would be held responsible, and added that the situation was "inherited, created before he became chief of the Coordinating Body". A protest rally was held in Presevo on Monday, when local political leaders read out a declaration to "demand that the memorial to national heroes be returned with the help of international factors and in line with the jurisdiction of local authorities". The now disbanded ethnic Albanian UCPMB (OVPMB) was designated a terrorist group for staging attacks against security forces and civilians in southern Serbia in 2000 and 2001. Speaking about the EU-sponsored Kosovo talks, held in Brussels, Stankovic said they would continue: "I don't know if Belgrade's position will be more difficult, but Belgrade was talking about all the activities the whole time with representatives of the international community, and representatives of embassies said this was an internal issue of Serbia." Speaking about the desecration of Serb cemeteries in Kosovo, Stankovic said he believed that "the international community should react to what happened after the monument was removed". "It was logical to expect what would happen and that Serb tombstones would be torn down, the inadequate reaction of the international community made it possible, and further inaction will lead to more destruction." According to him, the reaction of the state was also missing "in some cases", including when it came to statements that Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja "should join Kosovo". "We are dealing seriously with inflammatory statements, with whether those people are committing a crime when they wish to separate a part of the country's territory. The question is why the state organs have not reacted," Stankovic said, and added that "people who are making these statements are otherwise moderate, working on solving real problems, but are using inflammatory rhetoric for political purposes". According to this official, they are encouraged by "statements coming from different areas, and the fact there is a mild reaction to what they are saying". "Milosevic's statement about 'all Serbs in one state' was pricey for Serbia, but when Sali Berisha says the same thing, there's only a mild statement from the American embassy in Pristina and that's all. How do you pronounce territorial pretensions toward four countries - Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Montenegro - and none of them comes up with some kind of position, at least to ask the international community to declare itself on statements that parts of sovereign countries should join Albania?," wondered Stankovic. Zoran Stankovic (Tanjug, file) B92

Official announces "further talks" over Preševo memorial

"Everything that's been happening is a much more complex political question. A game is being played that we have already seen, an attempt to secure better negotiating positions, to use the moment in the Belgrade-Priština dialogue, because some would like to draw parallels between that area and northern Kosovo."

According to Stanković, the situation there is now under control, while "constant contact and discussion with representatives of Albanians and the local self-government will decrease tensions".

He also stated that the situation that had developed related to the memorial "was used for numerous manipulations". Belgrade suggested that the structure be removed from the public area, and to set a deadline to talk about the subject for the beginning of June or July - a discussion "that would also be about the memorial for Gendarmes in the village of Lučane".

"After that a final decision would be made about if and where such a memorial could be placed. It is yet to be talked about, it will not be destroyed, it will be discussed with the local self-government, and we are now awaiting an official request from them, that will then be decided on. We asked them what they were proposing, we want a civilized solution, we cannot say yes or no immediately, because there are procedures. When they file a request, then the authorities will decide," Stanković said.

He also stressed that those who for originally placing the memorial in downtown Preševo "outside of all procedures" would be held responsible, and added that the situation was "inherited, created before he became chief of the Coordinating Body".

A protest rally was held in Preševo on Monday, when local political leaders read out a declaration to "demand that the memorial to national heroes be returned with the help of international factors and in line with the jurisdiction of local authorities".

The now disbanded ethnic Albanian UCPMB (OVPMB) was designated a terrorist group for staging attacks against security forces and civilians in southern Serbia in 2000 and 2001.

Speaking about the EU-sponsored Kosovo talks, held in Brussels, Stanković said they would continue:

"I don't know if Belgrade's position will be more difficult, but Belgrade was talking about all the activities the whole time with representatives of the international community, and representatives of embassies said this was an internal issue of Serbia."

Speaking about the desecration of Serb cemeteries in Kosovo, Stanković said he believed that "the international community should react to what happened after the monument was removed".

"It was logical to expect what would happen and that Serb tombstones would be torn down, the inadequate reaction of the international community made it possible, and further inaction will lead to more destruction."

According to him, the reaction of the state was also missing "in some cases", including when it came to statements that Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa "should join Kosovo".

"We are dealing seriously with inflammatory statements, with whether those people are committing a crime when they wish to separate a part of the country's territory. The question is why the state organs have not reacted," Stanković said, and added that "people who are making these statements are otherwise moderate, working on solving real problems, but are using inflammatory rhetoric for political purposes".

According to this official, they are encouraged by "statements coming from different areas, and the fact there is a mild reaction to what they are saying".

"Milošević's statement about 'all Serbs in one state' was pricey for Serbia, but when Sali Berisha says the same thing, there's only a mild statement from the American embassy in Priština and that's all. How do you pronounce territorial pretensions toward four countries - Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Montenegro - and none of them comes up with some kind of position, at least to ask the international community to declare itself on statements that parts of sovereign countries should join Albania?," wondered Stanković.