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Liaison officer says ban was "grave violation of deal" (B92,Tanjug,Politika,Blic)

BELGRADE -- Dejan Pavićević says the fact he was banned from entering Kosovo constitutes "serious obstruction of the implementation of what has been agreed in Brussels."

Belgrade's liaison officer in Priština, who was prevented from entering the province by the Kosovo authorities, "urged the EU and international community to solve the issue as soon as possible."

“That has never happened before. This is the first time that I am calling on the EU and international community to solve the problem as soon as they can, and thus make it possible for me to perform my duties without hindrances,” Pavićević told Tanjug.

He said that he would stay in Belgrade on Thursday for consultations in relation to the problem, and added that he would go back to Kosovo on Friday.

He noted that this ban could only be interpreted as an attempt at thwarting the normalization of Belgrade-Priština relations and obstructing him as a liaison office in performing his duties.

Pavićević explained that at around 9 a.m. on Wednesday he tried to go through the Merdare administrative crossing, but that he was denied entry to Kosovo under pretext that the document he had was not valid.

“This document has been agreed in Brussels,” he underscored, adding that the deputy liaison officer and his driver have the same document.

Pavićević stressed that his counterpart in Belgrade, Valdet Sadiku, holds the same document.

“The Brussels agreement envisages this document, as well as unhindered freedom of movement and the possibility for a liaison officer to have normal communication. It is one thing when someone refuses to talk with you, and there were such cases, but completely another when they completely ban your entry at the administrative line,” Pavićević said.

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Đurić condemned the incident earlier on Wednesday.