"US and EU should take stance on threats out of Pristina"

"US and EU should take stance on threats out of Pristina"

Stefanovic stressed in an interview for Tanjug on Tuesday that he expects "the international community to react to these threats, above all, for the US and the EU to make their stances known - as the biggest supporters of Pristina in its efforts."

"It is important that they declare themselves on what they say, when those people whom they support say that if justice is sought and if criminals are prosecuted, they will create new terrorist formations that will again kill people," stressed Stefanovic.

It is very important, the minister added, "that we know what Europe thinks about, so that we, too, can take a stance on some issues."

"If Serbia is trying to put all war criminals on trial, to give them fair trials in our country, that restore justice to the victims as well, it is normal that we want this to happen in the entire territory of Serbia, and also for the crimes committed against the Serbs. We cannot allow the Serbs to always be the nation that can be killed, cut, tortured, have their organs removed, while no one is held responsible, for ways to be found, when justice begins to be sought, to threaten and postpone the start of the trials and the formation of the tribunal," he said.

At the same time, Stefanovic pointed out that the establishment of the court is a belated move, "given everything that has been done to protect the criminals - which is why it's questionable what it can achieve at all."

"Volumes could be written about the pressuring of witnesses, their disappearance, the killings, the removal of forensic and other evidence, about what has been happening over the last 20 years. That is, of course, a question for the greatest sponsors of Kosovo's so-called independence," the minister said.

Stefanovic also told the agency that his ministry (MUP) is closely monitoring the events in Kosovo and Metohija, in order to prevent any possible spillover of instability and terrorist activities across the province's administrative lines.

Asked about the MUP's cooperation with the Kosovo police, Stefanovic said it was "very complex":

"We started this cooperation through UNMIK, then through EULEX and we are trying through every channel, but also with the local security authorities of the Pristina side to establish a kind of cooperation that will guarantee the implementation of the law. It is not going easy."

But despite this, "efforts will continue so that no criminal, including those abusing certain political offices, can find a safe place anywhere in the territory of Serbia, including in KiM (Kosovo and Metohija)" Stefanovic concluded.