Vucic: One of the most difficult days for our country, people

BELGRADE - Commenting on the latest developments in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said this Sunday was "one of the most difficult days for our country and our people since 2004 and 2008."

"At around 2.46 am, a group of Serbs from Kosovo-Metohija set up two trucks as barricades in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, then the 'Kosovo Police' came and tried to remove those barricades, and that is where clashes occurred with the Serbs who set up the barricades, and one (Kosovo) police officer was killed and another person was wounded in those clashes," Vucic said at an extraordinary press conference in Belgrade.

He said the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative crossings were closed at 8.57 am, with gunfire still being heard in the area.

Vucic condemned the killing of an ethnic Albanian police officer in the vicinity of the Banjska monastery.

He said it was unjustifiable but that it was the result of Pristina PM Albin Kurti's terror.

Vucic said three Serbs from Kosovo-Metohija had been killed in the clashes and that a fourth person was feared killed as well.

He said he had information the clashes had been prepared beforehand, as indicated by the fact that Pristina's police had assembled an estimated 460 special police troops in an hour and 25 minutes.

"Kfor handled the job of closing possible exits for Serbs towards central Serbia, on 32 or 33 positions, so that no one would be able to find refuge," Vucic said.

He noted that he would inform the public of Serbia's final decision in the days to come.

In a message to those who he said thought they could pressure Serbia into recognising the so-called Kosovo, Vucic noted that a recognition would never happen.

"We will never recognise an independent Kosovo. You can kill us all, you can do whatever you want. Serbia will never recognise an independent Kosovo, a perverse creation that you made by bombing Serbia and by using all possible lies."

Serbia is always ready for dialogue, but they can forget about a recognition of Kosovo, he added.