Vucevic: Army troops being deployed at positions towards administrative line

BELGRADE - Serbian Defence Minister Milos Vucevic said on Friday Serbian Armed Forces (SAF) troops were being deployed at positions towards the administrative line with Kosovo-Metohija, and noted that Serbia would not allow further expulsions of Serbs.

"Shortly before 2 pm, the chief of the SAF General Staff issued further orders to SAF troops to take certain positions defined by our defence and strategic plans and SAF operational and tactical actions with the aim of protecting the sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia and its citizens," Vucevic told the RTS.

The army is taking positions defined in military documents as its positions in situations like these, he added.

Vucevic noted that absolutely illegitimate and illegally elected so-called municipal leaderships were trying to take control of all Serb-majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, under the patronage of the so-called Kosovo Police and Pristina's special police troops.

He said the Eulex reaction to the situation had been mild and that Kfor had reacted in a "quite confused" manner.

"The SAF maintains contact with Kfor and we expect Kfor to be far more engaged on the ground and to guarantee security, freedom and human rights to all citizens living in the territory of the province," Vucevic said.

He noted that Eulex and the international community and, above all, Kfor, needed to demonstrate their full capacity and to not allow a persecution of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija to continue.

"Serbia is fully committed to continuing dialogue - we do not want an escalation of conflicts or any wars, and we are not playing games," he said.

Vucevic said Serbia would allow no further expulsions of Serbs.

If anyone starts killing Serbs, raiding their homes, expelling them or threatening their children or their property, that will be the red line for Serbia, Vucevic said.

"That should be the red line for the entire civilised world," he said.

Earlier in the day, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic ordered army troops to full combat readiness.