Arne Sannes Bjørnstad, the Norwegian Ambassador to Belgrade, said that calling Presevo and Bujanovac “the eastern Kosovo” was the same as calling Kosovo Serbia, adding such statements were not helpful, TV N1 reported.
He commented on the Kosovo PM Ramush Haradinaj’s remark about the two southern regions in Serbia with predominantly ethnic Albanian population describing them as a part of Kosovo.
“The March 26 incident in northern Kosovo points to the need to continue the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in order to solve the problems in a constructive way,” said Piers Cazalet, NATO Deputy Spokesperson, denying that NATO “assessed” the procedure of Djuric’s visit to Mitrovica North, RTS reported.
Members of KFOR, EULEX and Kosovo Security Force, the police, and the Agency for Management of Emergency Situations have started a joint exercise.
This has been reported by RTK in Serbian.
As stated, the aim of the exercise is to train commanders and staff of KFOR, EULEX and Kosovo security organizations in managing operations in cases of assistance in natural disasters and civil unrest.
Considering events on Monday, the situation in Kosovo is calm, KFOR said, expressing gratitude to citizens in Kosovo for maintaining the situation calm and not increasing tensions, Serbian media reported.
This was written in a statement KFOR Public Affairs Office sent to the Serbian media, after being asked how they assess the current security situation in Kosovo, given events on Monday.
Russia and the US have both reacted to Monday's incidents in Mitrovica North and the arrest of Serbian official Marko Djuric.
Both countries have condemned these events, Tanjug reports today.
Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs "resolutely condemned" the incident in Mitrovica North, saying it was aimed at "intimidating all Kosovo Serbs."
Colonel Nick Ducich, an American of Serb ancestry, is the new commander of the US base Bondsteel in Kosovo, and of KFOR Multinational Battle Group East.
RTS is reporting this on Tuesday, citing Kosovo-based media.
"I am the first US officer of Serbian ancestry to command the Multinational Battle Group East. The role of KFOR remains unchanged, contribution to a safe and secure environment for all," Ducich is quoted as saying.
The US officer took over the command of the base from Colonel Michael Spraggins.
USA official Wess Mitchell arrived to Belgrade echoed with a threatening message that no one should dare to object the establishment of the so-called Kosovo army, daily Vecernje Novosti reports today.
However, according to the daily, Serbs from Kosovo would not accept the establishment of the army and direct violation of the UN SC Resolution 1244, despite USA being supportive of that scenario.
Aleksandar Vulin says Montenegro's decision to send two members of its military to KFOR in Kosovo is "a political message of support for Kosovo's independence," Tanjug news agency reported.
The Serbian Defense Minister added that Serbia "cannot welcome that."
It is not aimed at enhancing the security of citizens in Kosovo and Metohija, Vulin said when asked to comment on the Montenegrin authorities' decision to send members of their army to the (NATO) mission in Kosovo.
Montenegrin Defense Minister Predrag Boskovic said Montenegro for the first time would send two army officers to KFOR Mission in Kosovo, Serbian media reported.
Boskovic who is in an official visit to the USA, said that Montenegrin army officers should join KFOR by the end of the year.
According to him, Montenegro as a NATO member, would send one officer to the KFOR HQ in Pristina, and the other one to the Liaison Office in Skopje.
KFOR Commander Major General Salvatore Couci said that the murder of Oliver Ivanovic is under investigation, there is a full cooperation with EULEX and all are involved in resolving the case, Serbian media reported.
General Couci in an interview to RTK assessed the situation in Kosovo as calm and stable and that they work a lot with the Kosovo police responsible to keep the situation under control.