Minister for Kosovo addresses citizens in K. Mitrovica

Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanovic said on Friday that "this was not a D-Day" and that Serbia had "much worse days in its past". He added that Serbia knew how to adequately protect its legitimate interests. Minister for Kosovo addresses citizens in K. Mitrovica Bogdanovic spoke to citizens near the bridge over the Ibar River in northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica and assessed that northern Kosovo Serbs could only defend their legitimate interests by peaceful means. The minister explained that a risk that violence could escalate had existed for 12 years and that Serbs had always fought against unilateral moves by the Pristina authorities that would not listen to the Serbian people. “Difficult days are ahead of us and an exhausting struggle because Pristina and the international community that has been supporting it are aware that only by exhausting the people they can achieve their goals,” he stressed. “It is up to us to be united and to defend our legitimate interests in a peaceful way,” Bogdanovic said. “I call on the people to be united, responsible and to peacefully stand up to unilateral moves of Pristina, that wants to change the situation in northern Kosovo with violent methods,” the minister pointed out. He pointed out that Serbia had neither military nor police in Kosovo but that it had the people who were determined to defend their interests and who knew what they wanted. The minister for Kosovo said he had information that Kosovo customs officers had arrived by helicopters at the two administrative checkpoints in the north of the province on Friday morning but that he was still waiting for an official confirmation. He warned that the Serbian people could leave these parts as a result of a quiet ethnic cleansing if there were no Serbian institutions in Kosovo, but stressed that Serbs were determined to stay in Kosovo. The minister for Kosovo talked to the local political leaders in northern Kosovo this morning and will have another meeting in the afternoon. He told B92 that they would once again send a message that they wanted to solve the situation peacefully. “We do not want conflicts and problems, but we want to send a clear message to the international community, KFOR and EULEX that they have exceeded their mandate after siding with Pristina, which could have a very bad effect on future contacts and future partnership relations,” Bogdanovic pointed out. He repeated that EULEX had a mandate to act status neutrally and pointed out that it was very dangerous to help the Pristina authorities to “set up its institutions in northern Kosovo”. The minister for Kosovo said that he was in constant contact with EULEX and that he had told the mission the same thing he told Kosovo Serbs at the barricades – that everything needed to be solved peacefully, through the ongoing dialogue in Brussels. “The people here have had enough of conflicts and wars and bloodshed, there has been enough of barricades and threats and all the problems they have been facing in the past 12 years. The people are strongly determined to stand up to such intentions in a peaceful way, to peacefully solve all problems but they also have a wish and will not to allow the state of Kosovo to come to life here, in the north,” Bogdanovic concluded. A view of the main bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica (Beta)

Minister for Kosovo addresses citizens in K. Mitrovica

Bogdanović spoke to citizens near the bridge over the Ibar River in northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica and assessed that northern Kosovo Serbs could only defend their legitimate interests by peaceful means.

The minister explained that a risk that violence could escalate had existed for 12 years and that Serbs had always fought against unilateral moves by the Priština authorities that would not listen to the Serbian people.

“Difficult days are ahead of us and an exhausting struggle because Priština and the international community that has been supporting it are aware that only by exhausting the people they can achieve their goals,” he stressed.

“It is up to us to be united and to defend our legitimate interests in a peaceful way,” Bogdanović said.

“I call on the people to be united, responsible and to peacefully stand up to unilateral moves of Priština, that wants to change the situation in northern Kosovo with violent methods,” the minister pointed out.

He pointed out that Serbia had neither military nor police in Kosovo but that it had the people who were determined to defend their interests and who knew what they wanted.

The minister for Kosovo said he had information that Kosovo customs officers had arrived by helicopters at the two administrative checkpoints in the north of the province on Friday morning but that he was still waiting for an official confirmation.

He warned that the Serbian people could leave these parts as a result of a quiet ethnic cleansing if there were no Serbian institutions in Kosovo, but stressed that Serbs were determined to stay in Kosovo.

The minister for Kosovo talked to the local political leaders in northern Kosovo this morning and will have another meeting in the afternoon. He told B92 that they would once again send a message that they wanted to solve the situation peacefully.

“We do not want conflicts and problems, but we want to send a clear message to the international community, KFOR and EULEX that they have exceeded their mandate after siding with Priština, which could have a very bad effect on future contacts and future partnership relations,” Bogdanović pointed out.

He repeated that EULEX had a mandate to act status neutrally and pointed out that it was very dangerous to help the Priština authorities to “set up its institutions in northern Kosovo”.

The minister for Kosovo said that he was in constant contact with EULEX and that he had told the mission the same thing he told Kosovo Serbs at the barricades – that everything needed to be solved peacefully, through the ongoing dialogue in Brussels.

“The people here have had enough of conflicts and wars and bloodshed, there has been enough of barricades and threats and all the problems they have been facing in the past 12 years. The people are strongly determined to stand up to such intentions in a peaceful way, to peacefully solve all problems but they also have a wish and will not to allow the state of Kosovo to come to life here, in the north,” Bogdanović concluded.