Pristina does not want agreement to take root
Director of the Serbian government's Office for Kosovo Aleksandar Vulin stated Thursday that he and the Serbian government would never ask Kosovo Serbs to take part in the agreement on payment of customs at crossings in northern Kosovo if the money collected went to Kosovo's budget, and added that, by announcing this, Pristina is trying to do everything to prevent the agreement from being realized.
(kosovocompromisestuff) Thursday, January 24, 2013
"If even one dinar collected at the administrative crossings was paid into the Kosovo budget, then neither I nor this government would ask the Serbs to take part in such an agreement and contribute to the recognition of a Kosovo state in any way," Vulin told Tanjug, commenting on a statement of Kosovo Prime Minister Hasim Taci, who said that the funds will be included in the Kosovo budget.
Vulin added that, whenever there is a solution or at least a proposal that guarantees certain benefits to the Serbs and does not suit Pristina, Pristina is trying to do everything to prevent such solution from being realized.
As he put it, Taci is doing this in order for the agreement to stay unrealized and unimplemented.
"Taci's statement that the money will go to Kosovo's budget is calculated to disturb and frighten the Serbs and prevent them from taking part in implementation of these agreements, and also to draw attention from violence and barbarity Pristina has been showing for days now by destroying Serb cemeteries and every memory of Serbs," Vulin stressed.
The latest wave of desecration of Serb cemeteries in Kosovo followed Belgrade's decision to remove a memorial to the murdered members of the so-called Liberation Army of Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja, which was erected in Presevo, southern Serbia, by local authorities without the necessary permits.
The paramilitary organization launched an armed rebellion in that part of the country back in 2000.
Vulin said that everything that is happening is solely Pristina's responsibility and that Pristina will be responsible if the agreement is not realized.
Taci stated on Wednesday that a special fund for the development of the north has been formed, and that all revenues from customs duties and taxes collected at Brnjak and Jarinje crossings in northern Kosovo will flow into this fund and be included in the Kosovo budget.
Vulin added that, whenever there is a solution or at least a proposal that guarantees certain benefits to the Serbs and does not suit Pristina, Pristina is trying to do everything to prevent such solution from being realized.
As he put it, Taci is doing this in order for the agreement to stay unrealized and unimplemented.
"Taci's statement that the money will go to Kosovo's budget is calculated to disturb and frighten the Serbs and prevent them from taking part in implementation of these agreements, and also to draw attention from violence and barbarity Pristina has been showing for days now by destroying Serb cemeteries and every memory of Serbs," Vulin stressed.
The latest wave of desecration of Serb cemeteries in Kosovo followed Belgrade's decision to remove a memorial to the murdered members of the so-called Liberation Army of Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja, which was erected in Presevo, southern Serbia, by local authorities without the necessary permits.
The paramilitary organization launched an armed rebellion in that part of the country back in 2000.
Vulin said that everything that is happening is solely Pristina's responsibility and that Pristina will be responsible if the agreement is not realized.
Taci stated on Wednesday that a special fund for the development of the north has been formed, and that all revenues from customs duties and taxes collected at Brnjak and Jarinje crossings in northern Kosovo will flow into this fund and be included in the Kosovo budget.
