Byzantine Blog

Serbia Railway Reclaims Jurisdiction in Northern Part of Kosovo Province

Serbia today reclaimed control of a 50-kilometer (30-mile) stretch of rail line in northern Kosovo, after Serb railroad workers blocked passage of a freight train on the line, refusing to work for Kosovo's railway company and demanding to be transferred to Serbia's state-owned railroad.

After nine years, Serbia's railway public company Zeleznice Srbije on Monday took over the jurisdiction over its infrastructure in the north of Kosovo and Metohia—the section between Lesko and Zvecan—Zeleznice Srbije Managing Board President Branislav Ristivojevic said on Monday.

Ristivojevic said in Zvecan that this will provide for a better railway traffic, stressing that UNMIK management was not capable to carry out its duties in the north of Kosovo and Metohia province according to the standards of Serbia Railways.

"When we establish that the railroad is safe in keeping with the standards observed by Zeleznice Srbije, traffic will be restored in this part of Kosovo," said Ristivojevic. He added that the traffic between Kosovska Mitrovica and Kosovo Polje is being carried out regularly.

The takeover started when Serbs employed by the "Kosovo railways" on Monday around 9 a.m. stopped in Zvecan a passenger train traveling on the Kosovo Polje-Lešak line in a protest against the unilateral declaration by the Pristina separatists.

The workers said that they will not work in this institution because they do not recognize the self-proclaimed "state of Kosovo".

Kosovo Serbs Form Emergency Police Headquarters

According to Tanjug, as a sign of support to Serb police officers who had been suspended from the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) in central part of Kosovo province, inhabitants of Gracanica formed crisis headquarters, saying that this was because they felt that the personal and material safety of the Serb community was threatened.

The requests, presented by Dragutin Jovanovic, called for the reintegration of Serb police officers in the KPS in Gracanica and other stations in the Serb communities in central Kosovo and requested that they be under the UNMIK police command.

"In keeping with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, we request that UNMIK head Joachim Ruecker instruct the UNMIK police commissioner urgently to send police officers to Gracanica in order to offer complete personal and material security to Serbs and other non-Albanians in central Kosovo in cooperation with KPS police officers," Jovanovic said.

The emergency headquarters also requested an urgent meeting with Ruecker and representatives of the UN police and KFOR commands in order to find a compromise in connection with the newly created situation.

Bishop Artemije Orders Suspension of Relations with EU Representatives

Serbian Orthodox Church Bishop of Raska and Prizren Artemije ordered on Monday the monks and the clergy of that diocese to suspend all their contacts with temporary Kosovo institutions, representatives of the EU Mission (EULEX) and the countries that had recognized the unilaterally proclaimed independence by Pristina separatists.

In the decision, which was presented to all the monasteries in Kosovo and Metohia province, and the archpriests of Raska and Prizren diocese, His Grace Artemije instructs that no contacts should be made with the representatives of these institutions, that they should not be invited to visit Serbian Orthodox monasteries and churches, and that their calls, whatever the occasion, are not to be responded to.

Any disrespect and violation of this decision will be severely sanctioned, Bishop Artemije said.

Serbia's Kosovo-Metohia Bishop said that the decision to cut relations with those who support dismemberment of Serbia was a result of the unilateral proclamation of independence by the Albanian separatists in Pristina, the decision of the EU to send its mission to Kosovo-Metoha province without a corresponding decision of the UN Security Council, and the decision of certain countries to recognize the amputated Kosovo province.

Serbia Will Never Let Go

Serbian Kosovo and Metohia Minister Slobodan Samardzic said Sunday that, regardless of the unilateral declaration of the independence by Pristina separatists and the support of some countries for this, Serbia will continue to strengthen and spread its functions in the province, at the same time defending its citizens.

Samardzic told Tanjug that "this act of the violation of the international and domestic laws was backed by some countries which recognized, to their historic disgrace, the independence of Kosovo."

"In such a situation, there is no other option for Serbia but to defend its state and national interests. Serbia, via its state documents and state policy, has definitively opted for that," Samardzic said.

He said that Serbia's fundamental position is to defend its citizens in Kosovo and Metohia.

"This is why Serbia will continue to strengthen and spread its functions in Kosovo-Metohia in all parts populated by its loyal citizens," Samardzic said, adding that for such policy, Serbia expects the understanding and help of countries and international organizations which advocate the preservation of international law.

"In the future, this will be Serbia's basic criteria for its relations with countries and international organizations in Europe and worldwide," said Samardzic.

Recommended: Serbian sympathizers outside the Cleveland presidential debate, video clip of "Kosovo is Serbia" protest in the background of Clinton-Obama debate; Serbian Montengro: Kosovo is Serbia (YouTube); Vidovdan and The Anthem of Kosovo Heroes on traditional Serbian instrument, frula (YouTube); Anthem of Kosovo Heroes, Rock&Roll version (YouTube); Chetnik Song (YouTube), Belgrade youth, Kosovo is Serbia protest