Commander of a military base Bondsteel, USA Colonel, Nick Ducic assessed the situation in bigger part of Kosovo as calm and stable, Radio KIM reported.

Following the series of incidents against Serbs in Kosovo last week, Coloner Ducic who attended an art exhibition opening in Gracanica said that the situation is calm.

Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director, Marko Djuric requested from KFOR, following yesterday’s attack against Serb returnees in Petric, to ensure a safe environment for the Serbs in Kosovo, and international organizations to regain the rule of law there, Serbian media reported.

Djuric added, the violence that erupted yesterday in the village of Petric, when several Serbs were injured, one of them seriously, is obviously organized, systematic, and aims at intimidating and expeling remaining Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija, Serbian media reported.

KFOR Commander General Salvatore Cuocci says that this peacekeeping mission will remain in Kosovo as long as needed, and that NATO currently does not plan to reduce the presence of international peacekeeping forces in Kosovo. Speaking about the action of Marko Djuric's arrest and attacks on journalists in North Mitrovica, Cuocci says that KFOR does not interfere with political or legal issues, national broadcaster RTS reports quoting daily Jedinstvo based in North Mitrovica.

Possible intrusion of the Kosovo Security Forces to crossing points Jarinje and Brnjak would not go without reaction from Belgrade, Vecernje Novosti wrote yesterday.

As daily earlier reported, Pristina’s plan to take over control of the administrative crossing points in the north of Kosovo, supported by NATO allies, could “inflame” entire region and Belgrade through unofficial channels has warned important European stakeholders of danger and domino effects of such scenario.

KFOR Commander, Major-General Salvatore Cuoci said in an interview to Radio kontakt plus, that NATO does not plan to reduce the number of soldiers in Kosovo or change the mandate of KFOR, adding that KFOR has more than 4000 members. The interview is scheduled to be aired on Saturday, at 11.05.

“KFOR is NATO’s success story, one of the longest missions and there are more than 4000 members present on the ground. They come from NATO member states and North-Atlantic Alliance partners,” General Cuoci said.

Nearly 2 000 police officers, judges and prosecutors who worked for the EULEX mission in Kosovo in the past 10 years are withdrawing from Kosovo, and their responsibilities will be taken over by Kosovo institutions. Some Blic interlocutors point out that the gradual departure of KFOR soldiers can be expected, after which the space opens up for the formation of the Kosovo army and the completion of the Kosovo's independence.

Announced withdrawal of a military mission from Kosovo would destabilize the entire region and endanger survival of Serbs, Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti writes today.

The daily continued Serbia would seek support from the two influential UN SC member states, Russia and China, in order to prevent obvious plans of Pristina’s allies to withdraw KFOR and EULEX missions from Kosovo and Metohija.

Colonel Nick Ducic, the new commander of the US military base in Kosovo has assessed the situation in Kosovo as stable, noting that the crucial problems Kosovo is faced with are corruption and organized crime.

Speaking for Belgrade-based daily Vecernje novosti, Ducic has announced his soon visit to the central Serbia, where he will meet the Serbian Army’s representatives.

Commander of KFOR, Major General Salvatore Cuoci told Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti in an interview that the decision on the formation of the armed forces of Kosovo is a decision of the Kosovo institutions, in accordance with constitutional procedures, and that KFOR continues to monitor the future of the KSF.

In the village of Piskote near Djakovica, at least three people have been exhumed, and further investigation will determine whether there are still bodies buried in this place. According to the Vesti portal, the President of the Commission for missing of the Government of Serbia, Veljko Odalovic, also confirmed this information and said that most likely those were remains of the Serbs who were kidnapped or disappeared during 1999.