U.S. ambassador: Threats come from Kosovo north

ZVECAN, June 30 (Tanjug) - U.S. Ambassador in Pristina Christopher Dell said Wednesday that when it comes to extremist group activities, he is more concerned about the north of Kosovo than other parts of the province.

Dell told TV Most in the northern Kosovo town of Zvecan that extremist groups around the world are looking for lawless places as fertile soil for their activities, adding that the north of Kosovo is known for its lawlessness.

He said that he is more concerned about northern Kosovo, which is known for its lawlessness, than about any other place in Kosovo, including Pristina.

Answering the question whether the Wahhabi movement is a threat to security in Kosovo, he said that if there is a place where terrorists might gather to plan some attacks in Kosovo or abroad, it would be the Kosovo north.

Dell visited the courthouse in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, and on this occasion said that solving problems of everyday life is more important to people than disputes between Belgrade and Pristina.

Answering the question under which system the Kosovska Mitrovica court will operate, Dell said that the court will work as part of EULEX institutions, but will also belong to the state of Kosovo.

There is no doubt that this (the north) is part of Kosovo, that Kosovo is indivisible territory, defined by its Constitution. It has been recognized by 69 countries, including the United States. The north is also Kosovo, said Dell.

Bentler: Situation in Kosovo requires political solution

PRISTINA, June 30 (Tanjug) - KFOR Commander Lieutenant General Markus Bentler has stated that the situation in Kosovo requires a political procedure and cannot be resolved by military means, adding that KFOR mission will not change.

In a conversation with Director-General at the Swedish Armed Forces Ulf Bengtsson, Bentler said that KFOR will remain a guarantee of the existing safety and security environment and freedom of movement regardless of the forthcoming adaptation of forces.

KFOR commander expressed gratitude to Bengtsson for exceptional contribution of the Swedish Armed Forces to KFOR mission, KFOR command released on Wednesday.

During the Tuesday talks, Bentler acquainted Bengtsson with positive trends concerning security situation in Kosovo and recent events with regard to conditions for transfer of jurisdiction to Kosovo institutions.

On Wednesday, Bengtsson will take part in patrol activities which will be carried out by members of Swedish units and Liaison Monitoring Teams from the Multinational Battle Group Center, in which the majority of approximately 250 members of the Swedish contingent is staying.

Velic: Return of displaced persons at standstill

GRACANICA, June 30 (Tanjug) - Coordinator of the Serbian Commissariat for Kosovo Dragan Velic said Wednesday that the return of displaced persons to the province completely died out in recent years, stating that only one percent of the internally displaced persons and refugees have returned to their homes.

Velic said that out of about 200,000 displaced persons in central Serbia, and about six thousand within the province, only two thousand Serbs have returned to their former places of residence so far, which is around one percent.

“There are 17 collective centers in the territory of Kosovo, and except the Serbian Commissariat for Refugees and the Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija, nobody is helping these people,” Velic said for Radio Gracanica.

He stated that the allocation of houses in the village of Novi Badovac in central Kosovo will solve the problem of permanent housing for many of them but added that the project is hindered by a lack of funds necessary to complete the infrastructure works.

Dacic: Security situation stable, problematic in Kosovo

BELGRADE, June 30 (Tanjug) - Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said Wednesday that the security situation in Serbia is stable but that there are certain security risks related to the preservation of territorial integrity.

The situation in Kosovo-Metohija is still problematic and burdened by a host of security pressures and dangers to the remaining Serb and other non-Albanian population, Dacic said presenting the report on the security situation in Serbia and the work of the Interior Ministry in 2009 at a meeting of the parliamentary Defense and Security Committee.

Tadic: Serbia wants to defend Christian identity in Kosovo

VIENNA, June 30 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic stated Tuesday at a celebration of 150 years of the Serbian Orthodox Church parish in Vienna that Kosovo is a matter of identity for Serbs and expressed hope that Europe will take into consideration the fact Serbia is the cradle of Christianity in Europe.

"Serbia and its people have faced various ordeals both in the past and present since the country is situated at a place where cultures and civilizations clash. Even today in the 21th century we are dealing not only with the issue of our future in the EU but also our Christian identity and its preservation," Tadic said.

Reminding that Emperor Constantine was born on Serbian soil and that under his reign Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire, the Serbian president stressed that therefore Europe and its Christian identity came into existence on Serbian ground.

"That is why the Kosovo issue, which Serbia wants to solve peacefully, is not only a matter of territorial integrity and sovereignty but above all a matter of preserving our identity," he explained.

"Today we are faced with an attempt to usurp Serbian Orthodox presence in Kosovo-Metohija," Tadic said, pointing to the fact that there are intentions to build an artificial Kosovo identity which has existed for only two years compared to the Serbian Orthodox identity which has been around for centuries.

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