After the announcement made by the US Department of Treasury that placed sanctions on the deputy chair of the Serbian List, the main Serbian party in Kosovo, Millan Radoicic, northern Kosovo businessman, Zvonko Veselinovic, his brother and 10 other citizens, there have been public reactions from the president of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic as well as PM Kurti.

“Kosovo’s Institution are completely dedicated to the rule of law and to collaborating with the US, in order to guarantee that our region won’t become a heaven for these criminal groups,” wrote president Osmani on a Twitter post.

In addition, Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic said during a press conference that the relevant Serbian bodies will investigate everything closely, in the case that ‘serious accusations are made against them’.

At the same time, Vucic refused to admit that his party, Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has accepted cash incentives from Zvonko Vesellinovic.

Kosovo’s PM, Albin Kurti also wrote on Facebook, saying that he welcomes the decision made recently by the United States.

“This group is responsible for trafficking goods, money, narcotics and weapons from Kosovo to Serbia [and vice versa], this group is the best example of how crime in northern Kosovo is an everyday reality that violated the legitimacy of citizens’ rights, freedoms and privileges,” – said Kurti, adding that this action legitimizes the actions taken recently by the Kosovo Police in these regions.

In their announcement, the US said that these people are being sanctioned because they have been part of a group that is deeply rooted in grand corruption and bribery schemes with Kosovar and Serbian officials, who help their illegal trafficking practices by making it easier for them to go through checkpoints unnoticed. The properties and public possessions of these individuals will be seized and American citizens aren’t allowed to collaborate with them.