Serbian minister banned from entering Kosovo

Kosovo Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi has said that Serbia’s Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic will be arrested if he tries to enter Kosovo illegally. Rexhepi explained that the Kosovo authorities had banned Bogdanovic from entering Kosovo. Serbian minister banned from entering Kosovo “The ban applies to Minister Bogdanovic because he did not adhere to instructions not to give political statements in the past. This is the reason he is not allowed to enter,” the Kosovo interior minister noted. He also announced that some “extremist groups” would also be banned from entering Kosovo to attend celebration of the 623rd anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo. Rexhepi added that all those who did not intend to cause problems would be allowed to attend the celebrations in Gracanica and Gazimestan. “This unfortunately is not the first time that I am not allowed to visit, primarily the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija, but at the same time our historical monuments and monasteries, churches and sacred places,” Bogdanovic said. “It is a little strange that now, when we agreed on the freedom of movement and when the talks started, when in fact we all need to make sure that we respect the freedom of movement in the best possible way and the way we agreed in Brussels, we have a counter-measure which bans the Serbian officials from visiting Gracanica and to attend the marking of the anniversary of the Battle for Kosovo,“ he told B92. “I do not want now, in any way, just like I did not want to take advantage of such a situation in the past, because I know that each statement coming from Belgrade can only harm the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Therefore I will not go tomorrow but that does not mean that I am scared of the announced arrest if I illegally cross into Kosovo but because I do not want to create new tensions, new problems,” Bogdanovic noted. “My personal position and my policy and the policy of the government is to solve all problems in a peaceful manner, through dialogue and not by creating new problems and new tensions. Such statements are not helping, of course. But I will continue to fight for a common life of Serbs and Albanians down there and I will fight for peace there,” he told B92. Goran Bogdanovic (Tanjug, file) B92 Beta

Serbian minister banned from entering Kosovo

“The ban applies to Minister Bogdanović because he did not adhere to instructions not to give political statements in the past. This is the reason he is not allowed to enter,” the Kosovo interior minister noted.

He also announced that some “extremist groups” would also be banned from entering Kosovo to attend celebration of the 623rd anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo.

Rexhepi added that all those who did not intend to cause problems would be allowed to attend the celebrations in Gračanica and Gazimestan.

“This unfortunately is not the first time that I am not allowed to visit, primarily the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija, but at the same time our historical monuments and monasteries, churches and sacred places,” Bogdanović said.

“It is a little strange that now, when we agreed on the freedom of movement and when the talks started, when in fact we all need to make sure that we respect the freedom of movement in the best possible way and the way we agreed in Brussels, we have a counter-measure which bans the Serbian officials from visiting Gračanica and to attend the marking of the anniversary of the Battle for Kosovo,“ he told B92.

“I do not want now, in any way, just like I did not want to take advantage of such a situation in the past, because I know that each statement coming from Belgrade can only harm the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Therefore I will not go tomorrow but that does not mean that I am scared of the announced arrest if I illegally cross into Kosovo but because I do not want to create new tensions, new problems,” Bogdanović noted.

“My personal position and my policy and the policy of the government is to solve all problems in a peaceful manner, through dialogue and not by creating new problems and new tensions. Such statements are not helping, of course. But I will continue to fight for a common life of Serbs and Albanians down there and I will fight for peace there,” he told B92.