Serbs in north "won't accept dismantling of institutions"

Source: Beta

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA -- Krstimir Pantić said on Wednesday that enormous pressure was exerted on Serbia from Brussels to dismantle its institutions in northern Kosovo.

Krstimir Pantić (Beta, file)

The Kosovska Mitrovica mayor, who also serves as deputy director of the Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija, said that Serbs - who are a majority north of the Ibar River and reject the Kosovo Albanian authorities - would not accept such an outcome.
"What is most important and what the government of Serbia and the international community must know is that Serbs will never take part in elections organized by Priština, and they should also take into account the results of a referendum held exactly a year ago, when the citizens said it very clearly that they rejected Albanian institutions," Pantić told Radio Kosovska Mitrovica.

According to this official, who comes from the ranks of the ruling SNS party, in case the Serbian institutions were dismantled a security vacuum would be created, since nobody would be in a position to execute their authority in that part of the territory. This, he noted, would represent a problem both for the Serbian government and the international community.

"I'm certain that would not be in anyone's interests, that PM (Ivica) Dačić will not succumb to the pressure from Brussels as the (Kosovo) dialogue continues, and that he will not give up on the financing and functioning of Serbia's institutions in this part of the province."

Pantić also expressed his fear that Albanian extremists might launch attacks against members of international missions deployed in the north, to then falsely blame Serbs for the incidents, "which would provoke a reaction of the international community".

The goal of such an intervention would be to force Serbs to either accept Priština's institutions or leave Kosovo.

According to him, the agreement on integrated management of the administrative line is not being fully implemented because it is unfavorable for Serbs, who would never accept the deal "as something that is good for them":

"That's a message to PM Ivica Dačić to make no further concessions in Brussels, not to make deals that cannot be implemented on the ground because, I repeat, Serbs will never accept to be part of an independent Kosovo."

Dačić is set to meet with Hashim Thaci on February 19 and 20 in Brussels, with the northern part of Kosovo on the agenda of the EU-sponsored talks.