Apart of the statement that ‘all allegations over corruption in the EULEX judiciary should be investigated for the sake of credibility of that mission’, made by the Director of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Djuric, Belgrade did not make any additional comments with regard to that scandal.

Danas was not able to learn from the Office for Kosovo and Metohija about Belgrade’s steps in relation with corruption in the EULEX mission, which is officially deployed to Kosovo with its consent.

Rada Trajkovic from the European Movement of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija, is surprised with a lukewarm reaction of Belgrade, whereas Marko Jaksic from the Kosovo branch of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) doesn’t expect anything, ‘since authorities are quiet and when it comes to violence against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, demolition of Serbian houses in Klina, Istok and Djakovica’. They both think that official Belgrade should request the restoration of the UN mandate, whereas the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) official and chairperson of the Serbian parliament’s Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, Milovan Drecun, considers such idea as unrealistic.

“Nothing spectacular will take place due to the corruption scandal in EULEX. It will all be covered up. When it comes to Serbs, EULEX can leave. Kosovo Constitution clearly stipulates that its role is to install another Albanian state in the Balkans, what was the exact reason why we gathered signatures against the EU mission, requesting its withdrawal. It is important for Serbs, until the moment when Serbian state returns to Kosovo and Metohija, that UN restores its full mandate. However, that won’t be possible with the current Belgrade authorities, which signed the Brussels Agreement and pushed Serbs into the hands of the separatist authorities in Pristina,” said Jaksic.

Trajkovic opines that Belgrade should react, ‘taking into account that it accepted that EU takes over the responsibility over the rule of law area in Kosovo and Metohija, as the status neutral mission’.

“The corruption capacity of Kosovo Albanians is huge. Brussels is the one that should prove, with an independent investigation, that Europe is accountable. However, neither investigation nor any other process can restore the credibility of EULEX. Belgrade should launch an initiative for strengthening the UN mission in Kosovo and Metohija. Another problems is that this scandal brings into question the credibility of Europe, with regard to the operation of a special war crimes court, which is supposed to deal with crimes committed by the Kosovo Liberation Army,” explained Trajkovic.

When asked whether Belgrade is asked about anything that has to do with EULEX, whose mandate is extended lately, year after year, in agreement with Pristina, Trajkovic said that according to the international law territory of Kosovo and Metohija is still the territory of Serbia.

“EU and UN are the first ones that should deal with corruption in EULEX, since, following the opinion of the Security Council, Belgrade accepted the reconfiguration of UNMIK and deployment of EULEX. It is up to Belgrade to use diplomatic channels in order to encourage an investigation. If supreme monitoring of the rule of law in Kosovo and Metohija is in the hands of EULEX, such huge level of corruption in that mission is unacceptable,” said Drecun.

Danas learned from the Kosovo prime minister’s cabinet that Kosovo government won’t make any public statement when it comes to corruption in EULEX.