Kosovo Serbs stage protest in Belgrade

The protesters arrived by bus with numerous flags of Serbia, and started the protest at the time of the government's session. Head of the Kosovo District Vladeta Kostic told The press that the protesters asked to be addressed by Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Minister without portfolio in charge of Kosovo Aleksandar Vulin. Soon after, Vulin addressed the protesters and informed them that the government is discussing the statement by Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. I know how difficult and offensive it is to listen that Kosovo is Turkey, Vulin said, stressing that the Turkish prime minister is coming to Serbia's southern province to take part in the election campaign, while the Serbian officials are banned from visiting Kosovo. Upon chanting the name of Aleksandar Vucic, Vulin told the protesters that the vice president will address them after the government's session, but that soon they will also meet in Gracanica, Kosovo. Vucic has canceled the visit to Gracanica and Leposavic scheduled for October 23 as he did not want to accept Pristina's condition that he cannot visit the province together with Minister Vulin. In spite of the agreement reached in Brussels according to which the Kosovo authorities have to secure freedom of movement and make visits of Serbian officials possible, Pristina banned Minister Vulin's visit on October 17 as it was dissatisfied with his continuous calls to Serbs to take part in the elections in the greatest possible number and vote for citizens' initiative Srpska, which is supported by the Serbian government. Vulin, however, visited the province, and the Kosovo Prosecutor's Office issued a warrant for his arrest and launched an investigation against him on the pretext that he entered Kosovo illegally not using the official crossing.