Vulin says he's in Kosovo "because EULEX didn't ban him"

Source: B92, Beta, Tanjug

ZVEČAN -- Aleksandar Vulin said on Thursday that he was in Kosovo "because EULEX did not issue a ban for his entry."

Vulin and Mihajlović are seen in Kosovo on Thursday (Tanjug)

Serbia's minister without portfolio in charge of Kosovo and Metohija added that he "does not communicate with interim institutions in Priština."
"I respect the mandate of the international community, Resolution 1244. If EULEX had officially banned my visit, I would certainly have adhered to that. I have no communication with interim institutions in Priština," Vulin told reporters.

Together with Serbian Minister of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection Zorana Mihajlović, Vulin was touring Gazivode Lake near Zubin Potok, the Valac electricity substation, Trepča Mines and Gračanica.

Tanjug reported earlier that Priština had banned Vulin's visit to Kosovo and Metohija.

The minister noted that Priština "wants two kinds of Serbs- those who will boycott elections in the north, and those who will boycott Belgrade in the south."

"I do not belong to either of these groups, and that is why I am a pretty big obstacle to both. Priština will do everything it can to ensure that these groups argue, that is to break the unity of Serbs, and not allow the formation of a community of Serb municipalities," Vulin said.

"I will not let that happen. That is why I am a threat. However, it is my duty to stand by my people," he underlined.

There has been some confusion today regarding how Vulin entered Kosovo, considering that the authorities in Priština said they did not approve it, while a spokesman for the Kosovo police said he "had no information that Vulin had officially entered Kosovo."

KPS regional chief in the north Nenad Đurić also did not know how Vulin arrived there. Asked by Radio Free Europe (RFE) if the Serbian government official "took an alternative road," Đurić said he "did not know if that was possible."

In Priština, Hashim Thaci's adviser Bekim Colaku said that Vulin was banned from entering Kosovo "because he did not adhere to the criteria of the Kosovo authorities during his previous visit."

"Vulin was banned from entering Kosovo today because on October 14 he took part in an elections campaign rally. He submitted his request via the EU office, that request was forwarded to us, we reached a negative decision," Colaki told RFE.