Balkans: Serbian president and Kosovo PM clash over "criminal structures" in north Kosovo

last update: August 31, 17:55

 

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Belgrade/Pristina, 31 August (AKI) - Serbian president Boris Tadic and Kosovo prime minister Hashim Thaci exchanged bitter accusations on Wednesday over the situation in northern Kosovo and alleged existence of "criminal structures" there.

The exchange followed a European Union and Kosovo police action in northern Kosovo early on Wednesday, aimed at discovering the killers of a Kosovo ethnic Albanian policeman on 26 July.

Irina Gudeljevic, a spokeswoman for the EU police in Kosovo (Eulex) said the police during the search of Serb homes in the village of Zupce confiscated weapons and found evidence in connection with the murder of a policeman who was presumably killed by a Serb sharpshooter.

"Eulex can confirm that orders had been issued for the arrest of six persons in connection with the murder," she said. "Similar operations can be expected in the future relating to the murder and other acts of violence which recently took place in the north," Gudeljevic added.

Tensions in northern Kosovo worsened after Kosovo government sent special police unit on 25 July to take over two border Crossings with Serbia. Local Serbs, who oppose Kosovo independence, declared by majority Albanians, responded by setting up road blocks and a policeman was killed.

Thaci said "parallel structures" that Serbia still operates in Serb-populated north have turned into criminal and "terrorist structures", supported by Belgrade which opposes independence.

He said the killers of the policeman may well have found a refuge in Belgrade, but warned that "days of criminal structures in the north have been counted. Illegal Serbian structures in north Kosovo are turning into paramilitary structures which are behind terrorist acts and organized crime in that part of Kosovo," he added.

Tadic said no one contests that the killers of the policeman should be found and punished. "But Hashim Thaci's statement that there are parallel structures in the north connected with terrorism behind which stands the state of Serbia is a prelude to new violence," he said.

" It's the height of hypocrisy that Pristina institutions should establish the rule of law in northern Kosovo, because the EU and every statesman in the EU and the US knows that Kosovo and Pristina institutions are not immune to organized crime," he said.

http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/Aki/English/Politics/Balkans-Serbian-president-and-Kosovo-PM-clash-over-criminal-structures-in-north-Kosovo_312403833835.html