Serbian President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 declared on 6 July that he will seek a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and subsequently an urgent session of the United Nations Security Council due to the situation in Kosovo.<\/p>\n
He stated that he will request the Security Council to order KFOR \u2013 based on the obligations of Resolution 1244 \u2013 to prevent any further actions by Kosovo\u2019s security structures that \u201cthreaten the lives, freedom, security, and survival of Serbs in Kosovo\u201d, and to carry out the \u201cdemilitarization of all armed formations\u201d.<\/p>\n
Vu\u010di\u0107 claimed that Serbia has done everything possible to de-escalate the situation in Kosovo but that a \u201cpogrom, persecution, and ethnic cleansing\u201d of Serbs is being carried out in Kosovo, which is \u201cwell-organized and supported by a part of the international community\u201d.<\/p>\n
According to him, \u201cthe Serbian people in Kosovo are being criminalized\u201d.<\/p>\n
In this context, he also commented on the statement made by British MP Alicia Kearns, alleging that weapons from Serbia are being smuggled into Kosovo using emergency vehicles and are \u201cstockpiled\u201d in Serbian Orthodox Church facilities.<\/p>\n
British MP Alicia Kearns, who is also the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament, made this statement in the UK Parliament on 4 July.<\/p>\n
Vu\u010di\u0107 stated that Kearns is a \u201clobbyist\u201d for Kosovo.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are conducting an investigation against you to see who is financing you,\u201d Vu\u010di\u0107 said.<\/p>\n
The Serbian President discussed the possibility of signing a decision to ban further exports of ammunition from Serbia in the coming week. He stated that \u201cbecause Serbia\u2019s vital national interest is threatened\u201d, all arms exports should be halted.<\/p>\n
He emphasized the need to be prepared in case of aggression against Serbia.<\/p>\n
\u201cSerbia is not preparing for war, but it is ready to save its people\u2019s lives,\u201d Vu\u010di\u0107 said.<\/p>\n
He also mentioned that Serbia will consider the request of the Serb List, the leading party of Serbs in northern Kosovo, to declare special units of the Kosovo Police and the intelligence structures as terrorist organizations.<\/p>\n
Vu\u010di\u0107 announced that decisions will be made responsibly, and Serbia will inform its international partners within the next 14 days.<\/p>\n
The Serb List, the main party representing Serbs in Kosovo, has urged the Serbian Government to declare the special units of the Kosovo Police, intelligence structures, and all \u201ccollaborators of these structures\u201d as \u201cterrorist organizations threatening peace in these areas\u201d, referring to the northern part of Kosovo.<\/p>\n
In a letter sent to the Serbian Government, it states that the Serbian people have been suffering from \u201cterrorism and repression by the anti-Serb regime of [Kosovo Prime Minister] Albin Kurti for the past two years\u201d.<\/p>\n
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti rejected claims that the tension and normalization of relations with Serbia are not being achieved due to a lack of an agreement on 5 July. He stated that the Agreement on Comprehensive Normalization, signed by both parties in February in Brussels, as well as its Annex in Ohrid a month later, exists and should be fully implemented.<\/p>\n
Since the end of May, Serbs have been protesting in Zve\u010dan, Zubin Potok, and Leposavi\u0107, opposing the work of newly appointed Albanian mayors from municipal buildings. Local Serbian residents are also demanding the withdrawal of special units of the Kosovo Police from the vicinity of these buildings.<\/p>\n
Serbian political parties boycotted the local elections held on 23 April, and the Serbian population did not participate.<\/p>\n
The international community has urged Serbia to ensure the participation of Serbs, without conditions, in any future elections in northern Kosovo.<\/p>\n
Kurti stated that holding snap elections in the four municipalities in northern Kosovo is the only way to change local power in these predominantly Serbian-populated areas.<\/p>\n
The Prime Minister of Kosovo agreed to the holding of elections but emphasized the need for preparations to ensure a fair and open campaign \u201cso that there are no threats and ultimately another boycott and low turnout\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Serbian President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 declared on 6 July that he will seek a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and subsequently an urgent session of the United Nations Security Council due to the situation in Kosovo. He stated that he will request the Security Council to order KFOR \u2013 based on the obligations of Resolution […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":56436,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[250],"tags":[1098,243,151,383,2203,1297,301,1126,787],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n