KFOR

"LandepNews"

KFOR

Kosovo Serbs announced on Wednesday that the barricades erected in the northern part of Kosovo will not be removed by them. The statement comes a day after the deadline given to the Serbs to remove the barricades by the KFOR expired on Tuesday. The Serbs consider these barricades a sign of their defiance to the regime in Pristina, which they don’t recognize as the ruler of Kosovo.
They were erected last summer by the Serbs who live in the northern part of Kosovo as the Kosovo police has wanted to close two crossings into Serbia, which allow the Serbs to maintain a contact with Serbia.
European Union police have helicoptered about 16 roadblocks erected by the Serbs and guarded by them as a sign of their independence from Kosovo.
Meanwhile Russian officials said they have established a “humanitarian center” 50 miles from Kosovo border in the Serbian town of Nis.
After a meeting of municipal Serb leaders, illegally elected in the opinion of the European Union authorities, the decision was made for the barricades to be opened only for limited freedom of movement of KFOR and for humanitarian purposes.
The decision was regretted by the NATO commander in Kosovo, which said that the removal by force of the barricades is not an option since time is on KFOR’s side, because the pressure is mounting on Serbia, which is expected to demand them to do it.
The NATO commander said that time was on their side, but that there is a possibility that the situation blow up.
The scandal broke in July when the Kosovo police wanted to shut down two crossings into Serbia used by the Serbs living in Kosovo. The Kosovo police wanted to enforce the Kosovan law in the northern region which does not recognize the independence of the breakaway province.
Kosovan Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said that it was time for the northern part of Kosovo to come under the ambit of the Kosovan law.
The action of the Kosovan police resulted in the death of a police officer and the wounding of another as the Serbs reacted very angrily to the advance of the police in their area.
The police was withdrawn as the European Union urged the prime minister of Kosovo to stand down and renounce to antagonize the people in the north. EU recommended that the case be resolved with caution.
The KFOR troops were deployed to protect the peace in this part of Kosovo, but when they arrived the Serbs said that they refused to remove the barricades. KFOR troops were expected to take over the two crossings and control the traffic.
The problem will count very much for Serbia, which received the status of candidate to the European Union integration last week but has not received yet the timeframe for the beginning of negotiations.
Before it starts the negotiations with the EU authorities, Serbia must resolve its problem with Kosovo. EU does not demand that Serbia recognize the independence of Kosovo, something the Serbians announced they would never do.
EU only wants to know that the candidate has no border problems with neighboring countries and that the neighboring countries may not demand any territory from the EU authorities.
Serbia and Kosovo have held a few rounds of negotiations and are expected to resume them so that the relations be normalized in order for Serbia, and possibly Kosovo, to be accepted as EU member.

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