Blaming Serbia is ‘always easier’, Vučić says about Kosovo terrorist attack

It is “always easier” to blame Serbia, President Aleksandar Vučić said of the recent standoff between Kosovo police and heavily armed Serbian men at a Serbian Orthodox monastery near the northern village of Banjska in late September, in an interview with Sky News in which he reiterated Serbia’s non-recognition of Kosovo.

In the interview, Vučić spoke of the rising tensions in Kosovo after the incident in Banjska, adding that Belgrade has always had a constructive attitude in negotiations towards the normalisation of relations.

“Belgrade has always been constructive in the negotiations, while Pristina asks only for recognition and refuses to form the Serbian Municipalities Association (SMA)”, said Vučić.

Speaking of the incidents in Banjska where three Serbs and a policeman were killed, Vučić commented on Pristina’s claims that Belgrade allegedly planned the incidents and provided a group of Serbs with weapons.

“It is always easier to accuse Belgrade. Who is going to believe that it is different? Almost nobody”, Vučić said.

“It is also easy to find weapons, not only in the black market. Kosovo police that chased Serbs carried AK weapons made in Kragujevac (Serbia)”, Vučić said, adding that these weapons had not been sold by Serbia.

Milan Radoičić, who has publicly said that he planned the events in Banjska, has been called a leader of a terrorist organisation by Pristina. Serbian authorities accuse Radoičić of buying weapons, ammunition and explosives and holding them in Kosovo territory.

“He has been accused, he was an ally as president of the Serbian list, but not a friend. It was a large, huge felony”, Vučić said.

Asked by Sky News if Serbia would extradite Radoičić, Vučić said that it cannot, “because Kosovo is not recognised as a state”.

“Belgrade is doing all we can to be constructive, but Pristina does not want to do anything related to SMA, which they signed ten years ago”, he added.

Meanwhile, the first contingent of 200 UK soldiers arrived in Kosovo on Friday to reinforce NATO’s Kosovo Force peacekeeping mission.

“This is a prudent step to ensure KFOR has the forces it needs to fulfil its UN mandate to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all people”, NATO said in a press release.

KFOR currently has over 4.500 soldiers from 27 NATO allies and partners.

(Bojana Zimonjić Jelisavac | Euractiv.rs)