KFOR spokesman Vincenzo Grasso said on Thursday that the international military forces had not seen any Kosovo Security Force troops moving north.
Speaking after Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told a group of Kosovo Serbs in Belgrade that he had information about Kosovo Albanian troop movements towards northern Kosovo, adding that KFOR had allegedly stopped them.
Colonel Grasso said there had been no troop movement to prevent.
“The situation is under control. There is nothing happening. There were no Kosovo Security Force movements north. There were some police troops in southern Mitrovica but we are in contact with the police and there was no reason for concern,” the KFOR Chief Public Affairs Officer told KoSSev.
Grasso said KFOR was actively following developments on the ground.
KoSSev contacted the Kosovo Police spokesperson, Daut Hoxha, several times today.
During the first telephone conversation, Hoxha said that he did not have any information regarding the confiscation of Serbian license plates in Ranilug and Gnjilane, including whether the KSF troops were headed towards South Mitrovica.
He said that he could not confirm anything, adding that he had heard “some speculation” and requested some time to collect more information.
However, in a subsequent written response to KoSSev, Hoxha stressed that the information on the confiscation of Serbian vehicle license plates is speculation.
„We do not comment on anyone’s political statements. As a law enforcement institution, Kosovo Police is obliged to apply the decisions of the state institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, in this case – the government of the country. The purpose of the police’s obligation is to maintain order, peace and public security in the country; to take precautionary measures and legal measures against illegal activities, as well as to guarantee free movement in the entire territory of the Republic of Kosovo,“ Hoxha wrote.
The Kosovo government adopted a decision yesterday, with a majority of votes, to increase the tax on imported goods from Serbia, which had already been increased by 10% earlier this week, to 100%. This measure was adopted just one day after Kosovo failed to enter INTERPOL for the fourth time.
After the introduction of a 100% tax on all products from Serbia following the decision of the Kosovo Government, some Kacanik residents burned Serbian products last night while filming this event. A similar event also took place in Decani.
Market inspection started removing products that contained the inscription „Kosovo and Metohija“, „Kosovo UNMIK“ or „Kosovo Resolution 1244“ from stores throughout Kosovo.
In addition to this Kosovo police started removing Serbian vehicle license plates in the predominantly Serbian villages of Ranilug and Ropotovo in the Gnjilane region, several Kosovo media reported citing unofficial claims, which was also confirmed by the Serbian President Vucic.
In North Mitrovica local Serbs are faced with shortages of daily Belgrade papers and fresh milk products.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
