Zubin Potok, Belgrade – We’ve entered a stalemate. On one side we have KFOR, on the other the Serbs, and both are staring each other in the face. We are disappointed because we had promises from the presidents of the four Serbian municipalities in the northern Kosovo that an agreement would be reached in their meeting with KFOR and EULEX regarding the freedom of movement for KFOR.
However, this did not happen, because they were asked to also grant the passage to the EULEX, which had ferried Kosovo customs officials to the administrative crossings - Goran Bogdanovic, Minister for Kosovo and Metohija in the Serbian government, explains the causes of escalating crisis in north of Kosovo.
Would Belgrade still urge the Kosovo Serbs to agree to these new demands?
- In these difficult times we have to compromise. Peace has no alternative. No one is happy with the barricades. Bad weather is coming and there is also risk of conflict.
Why is there discrepancy between the Serbs in the north and the official Belgrade?
- We have to understand that there are different political options down there. This is actually the worst time to address problems as serious as these. It is obvious that most of the parties are already campaigning for elections, and wish to exploit the Kosovo Serbs. Our biggest adversary right now is the ongoing competition between the parties as to who is the bigger patriot. And all that leads to exploiting the feelings of the people in Kosovo.
Judging by events on the ground, it seems that Serbs in Kosovo pay more heed to the inflammatory rhetoric coming from some opposition parties than to the official Belgrade?
- Whenever a politician issues a statement, he sends a message to his constituents in the north of Kosovo. On top of that, we see that these statements often overlook the interests of these people.
Are the actions of the Serbs in the north in direct conflict with the proclaimed state policy of Serbia?
- There is every reason for such a perception, but I still repeat that in principle there is a unity on the need to resolve problems peacefully and through talks.