Kosovo Serbs block crossing to central Serbia over Eulex
Several hundred Serbs of northern Kosovo blocked traffic for half an hour on Wednesday at the administrative crossing of Brnjak, near Zubin Potok, in a peaceful protest against the intention of the European Union mission EULEX to introduce customs on goods arriving from central Serbia.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, June 10, 2009
This was a second protest in two days at the administrative crossings. On Tuesday, a rally was held in Jarinje.
The protesters expressed support to the local United Nations administration UNMIK demands that EULEX suspend all activities involving collecting of customs duty. It was underscored that Serbs of northern Kosovo accept that taxes should be paid, but provided the funds go into the budget of Serbia, and not Kosovo.
The latest demand is that the collecting of customs and taxes should be agreed on in talks with representatives of Serbs of northern Kosovo and representatives of the Serbian government.
The Zubin Potok municipal head Slavisa Ristic addressed the protest in Brnjak. In reaction to the latest intentions of the EULEX, he called on the Serbian government to re-examine its cooperation with that mission in Kosovo.
The Brnjak rally lasted thirty minutes and ended peacefully. The administrative crossing was secured by strong forces of EULEX police and KFOR.
At Tuesday's protest rally at the administrative crossing with central Serbia in Jarinje, Serbs from the north of Kosovo said they refuse to pay customs duties to the state of Kosovo, which they do not recognize, and that no one has the right to separate them from motherland Serbia.
Speaking on behalf of businessmen, Bojan Jakovljevic evaluated that this is a political problem.
"This is a political problem. A border is being established between the unrecognized republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia, which is something we disagree with. EULEX has absolutely stepped out of its mandate, because it works on establishing borders of an independent state of Kosovo," said Jakovljevic.
He said that the Serbs from the north of Kosovo will not join the Kosovo institutions.
"We are ready to pay excise duties and VAT to the state of Serbia and not the the unrecognized state of Kosovo," said he.
Leposavic Mayor Jovan Miladinovic stated that citizens will invest all their efforts to remain in Kosovo and that no one has the right to separate them from the state of Serbia.
"EULEX is trying to get us to join the institutions of the independent state of Kosovo, which we will never recognize or accept," said Miladinovic.
Strong EULEX police and Kosovo Police Service forces secured the protest rally, together with KFOR troops.
