Serbia could “respond in kind” to Priština’s moves

Source: Tanjug

PANČEVO -- Serbia could block crossings between Kosovo and central Serbia that Albanians use the most as a reciprocal measure, says Serbia's Interior Minister Ivica Dačić.

Ivica Dačić

He said that Serbia would do so “if the existing situation at the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative crossings continues”.

The minister told Tanjug that Serbia had a plan of action in case the situation in Kosovo deteriorated and explained that the plan did not include military and police.

“It includes reaction of all other state organs in order to prevent all consequences. I mean in the fields of economy, trade, education, health…,” he stressed.

Dačić added that Serbia was ready to continue the dialogue with Priština and that it believed that an agreement on the administrative crossings needed to be reached.

“The issue of who was going to be at the crossings and where the funds collected there would go to was not a subject of the dialogue. In accordance with that we have turned to the EU with an intention to discuss those issues immediately, maybe as soon as at the next session of the dialogue,” he stressed.

The interior minister has assessed that EULEX’s action of Friday was unnecessary and that it only complicates the situation in Kosovo. He added that it was good that Serbs had remained calm since Thaci’s goal was to cause conflicts between Serbs and KFOR and EULEX.

Dačić believes it is “funny” that the Kosovo PM thinks he has occupied northern Kosovo by bringing one customs officer at each checkpoint by helicopter.

According to the interior minister, Serbs should continue with their legitimate interests that nobody can deny.

He added that Kosovo Serbs needed unity and that it was not necessary “that someone goes to Kosovo on weekend to fight for the people in Kosovo and create some incident”.

“Serbs in Kosovo have enough common sense and strength to fight for their requests,” Dačić concluded.