Army chief: Biggest threat from Kosovo

Večernje novosti

BELGRADE -- The unilaterally declared independence by Kosovo poses the biggest threat to Serbia, Chief Of General Staff of the Serbian Army Lt. Gen. Miloje Miletić says. Lt. Gen. Miloje Miletić (Beta) "The territory of Kosovo and Metohija is a stronghold of organized crime and it is currently the biggest security challenge for Serbia," Miletić in told Belgrade's Večernje Novosti today. When asked whether he expects a new wave of violence in Kosovo after a decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), he replied that a "violent threat is an already tried and used method of Kosovo Albanians use to impose pressure on the international community". "If the court decision is not in keeping with their interests, which I sincerely hope it won't be, destabilization and violence are possible. I have received assurances by the KFOR commander that their troops will prevent any such event," said Miletić. Underscoring that "according to the experience so far, any instability in Kosovo and Metohija directly jeopardizes security in the region as a whole, particularly in the south region of central Serbia", he said, adding that the Serbian Army "is ready to respond to such a scenario and has enough capacity to secure peace in the area". Miletić also said that there was need to hold high-level meetings with KFOR and those meetings will become more frequent in the future. In regards to the army reform, Miletić underscored that the crisis had not seriously affected the reform of the defense system and that Serbia will have an army served by professional soldiers instead of conscripts by the beginning of 2011 at the latest. “Our army will have 30,000 people, with an active reserve force, it will be well trained, armed and ready to respond to all security risks,” said the general.