In talks held on June 7 with mayors of four northern Kosovo municipalities, and Radenko Nedeljkovic, Head of the Kosovska Mitrovica District, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic stated that all problems in Kosovo and Metohija must be resolved exclusively in a peaceful and democratic fashion, and that the Serbian Government and all state institutions should do everything in their power to protect safety and rights of Serbian citizens living in Kosovo. Ivana Subasic has more.
It is necessary to reach consensus of all relevant political factors in Serbia when it comes to resolving of the Kosovo problem, Nikolic said. As his Press Office announced, Nikolic will soon organize a meeting of all political factors to reach consensus on Kosovo. Serbian President emphasized that the Serbian Government and all state institutions must do everything in their power to protect safety and rights of Serbian citizens living in Kosovo and called on the Serbs in Kosovo not to respond to provocations and to refrain from violent actions against members of the international civilian and military organizations.
In a statement he gave to the Tanjug news agency prior to the meeting, Nikolic announced that he will give his collocutors part of documents pertaining to Belgrade-Pristina negotiations, to which, as he stated, he gained access when he assumed the position of the President of the Republic. "The Serbs of Kosovo and Metohija must be informed about all agreements and decisions of the state of Serbia which directly affect their lives, said Nikolic, pointing out that he will support participation of the Kosovo Serbs representatives in the negotiations. No one in Belgrade could know their problems better than they do, Nikolic explained, adding that Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija must know what was done for them by the Serbian state and which responsibilities were left to someone who runs Kosovo and Metohija.
On June 7, according to Mayor of northern Kosovo municipality Zvecan, Dragisa Milovic, Kosovo Serb representatives were shown the documents pertaining to the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations. The documents will be soon handed over to the Kosovo Serb representatives, after the office of the President review them. Milovic confirmed the Brussels documents contain certain information of which the Serbian public has not been informed. He specified that the situation in the north of Kosovo has worsened, Milovic pointed that Pristina uses institutional vacuum in Serbia working unilaterally on forcible integration of the northern part of the province into the Kosovo system. This is why the Serbs from Kosovo expect consensus of all relevant political factors in Serbia, so that they would know how to proceed further, said Milovic.
After the last week’s incident between local Serbs and KFOR members in the village of Rudare, north Kosovo, and Pristina’s decision to start confiscating Belgrade-issued license plates and driving licenses as of June 1, the Kosovo Serbs asked the Serbian President to tell them what exactly has been agreed in the talks on Kosovo held in Brussels. Following talks with Serb representatives from the north of Kosovo, the Serbian President’s office announced that President will soon meet with the Serbs living south of the Ibar River.