10.08.2020.
Minister Vulin: Shiptars’ goal is for members of the Kosovo Police to infiltrate our synchronized patrols with KFOR
Commenting on Shiptars’ claims that the Serbian Armed Forces entered Karačevo illegally during a joint patrol with KFOR, the Minister of Defence, Aleksandar Vulin, said that they have been trying to attack the Serbian Armed Forces from Priština for two or three days and accused us of not adhering to international agreements, not fulfilling our obligations and stepping on the administrative boundary, while the real goal, hidden behind this, is to include members of the Kosovo Police in the synchronized patrols of KFOR and the Serbian Armed Forces.
- The real truth is that members of the Serbian Armed Forces and members of KFOR, more precisely Regional Command-East, the Turkish contingent plus two representatives of US forces, were carrying out a synchronized patrol from 04.50 p.m. to 06.10 p.m., moving from the village of Muhovac to the village of Donje Karačevo, along the pre-determined administrative boundary. It is known exactly where they are going and before each patrol it is determined where they will go and how. We have the so-called TOPA and DOPA agreement signed in 2001, which specifies the way in which patrols are coordinated and how they move - says Minister Vulin.
- This is not the first time Shiptars have tried to attack the Serbian Armed Forces, but the essential goal is to infiltrate members of the Kosovo Police in our synchronized patrols. The Serbian Armed Forces have already denied that several times. We have signed an agreement with KFOR, not with KP or anyone else. For us, KFOR is responsible for security on the entire territory of Kosovo and Metohija, including the administrative boundary.
Minister Vulin says that this is Shiptars’ attempt to exert political pressure on us so that the Kosovo Police can infiltrate our synchronized patrols with KFOR, which would enable them to control the movement of our forces.
- Of course, that is not possible. We do not have such an agreement and we do not recognize anyone else but KFOR. Every other armed formation poses a security threat to us. We do not recognize them, we do not have agreements with them, we do not know who they are, we do not know where they are going and that is something that we absolutely reject and do not accept.
Apart from political, various other interests are hidden behind such things, Minister Vulin points out, and he gives an example of last night’s incident when the Serbian Armed Forces, securing the administrative boundary, more precisely the Ground Security Zone, arrested two people for trying to smuggle four head of cattle.
- It happens every day. That is why they need the Kosovo Police along the administrative boundary, in order to control or allow smuggling and such things. That does not work with us. This is just another attempt to attack our armed forces, but as before, we will firmly adhere to the Military-Technical Agreement, all those agreements that were signed with KFOR. We are a state governed by the rule of law and that is exactly how we will behave - Minister Vulin emphasized.
VIDEOGALLERY10.08.2020
mp4 (268,6 MB)Minister Vulin’s statement
