Ramush Haradinaj: “I need north of Kosovo”

The “prime minister” of the separatist Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj intends to establish contacts with everyone “who wields power in northern Kosovo” and discuss with them ways of integrating north of the southern Serbian territory into institutions of the Kosovo “state.” Haradinaj made the statement on air of Kosovo KTV channel on March 29, three days after the incident with seizure of the director of the Serbian Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric in Kosovska Mitrovica.

“I need the north. I must establish contact with everyone who has power there; I must talk with them in the north integration. This will guarantee security for everyone,” Haradinaj said.

Haradinaj explained seizure of Djuric by Pristina’s claim to Belgrade that he was not supposed to come to Kosovo that day as “the interior ministry” has not issued an entrance permission for him. So, he continued Djuric was in Mitrovica illegally.

He said he did not object Djuric visiting Kosovo, but only under a certain procedure.

According to him, the Community of Serb Municipalities cannot be formed one-sidedly, it will not be legitimate then.

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija has commented on Haradinaj’s statements. “Thaci and Haradinaj will be able to come closer to Kosovo, if they climb a building in southern part of Kosovska Mitrovica,” a statement of the office runs.

As EADaily reported on March 26, Marko Djuric was seized by militants of the ROSU unit in Kosovska Mitrovica, then taken to Pristina and deported from Kosovo. After the incident, members of the Serb List party at the «parliament» of the separatist territory decided to leave Pristina-controlled power institutions and to establish the Community of Serb Municipalities on their own. Under the 2013 Brussels Agreement, Kosovo Serbs must unite in an association which has been strongly opposed for five years already by the separatist authorities.

After the incident, the Serb List party has decided to leave the “government” of the separatist Kosovo, and on April 20 it will form the Community of Serb Municipalities on its own. The establishment of the community was envisaged by the Brussels Agreement, the chair of the Serb List Goran Rakic has announced at a news conference after the consultations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade on March 27.