Gasic: Situation in Kosovo-Metohija sensitive, cooperation with KFOR on high level

BELGRADE - Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic said on Wednesday the situation in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo-Metohija was very sensitive, primarily due to the unpredictability of Pristina's and Albin Kurti's moves, but that the cooperation with KFOR was on an extremely high level.

"More than anyone else, Albin Kurti is making the situation more difficult by trying to maximise his political gains in the electorate through his so-called nationalism by putting the Serb population under pressure. The Republic of Serbia is watching all that closely to ensure that the security of our citizens is guaranteed," Gasic told Tanjug.

He said the situation in the province was sensitive, especially due to the February 9 elections.

He said the international community had not fallen for Kurti's recent tricks, including an attack on the Ibar-Lepenac canal in the north of Kosovo-Metohija.

Gasic said Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Gen Milan Mojsilovic deserved the most credit for the extremely high level of cooperation with KFOR.

Mojsilovic has discussions or meetings with KFOR representatives almost on a daily basis, Gasic noted.

"Under UNSCR 1244, too, KFOR is a guarantor of peace, stability and security for our citizens in the territory of our southern Kosovo-Metohija province. Besides, we have joint patrols in the Ground Safety Zone, which are proceeding without any problem whatsoever. You have been able to see how many lies the so-called Pristina regime and Albin Kurti have uttered in the past six months, with the intention of making life worse for the Serbs as much as possible, especially in the north of Kosovo-Metohija," Gasic noted.

Commenting on the security situation in the region and globally, Gasic said that, like in Kosovo-Metohija, it was unstable.

"The situation is very unstable, and conflicts have a constant tendency of spreading. We do not know what direction the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Middle Eastern conflicts might go in. Some new flash points have suddenly emerged as well, so we are watching the situation very closely," Gasic said.