THE SITUATION IN THE МUNICIPALITIES OF PRESEVO, BUJANOVAC AND MEDVEDJA IS STABLE, STATED THE PRESIDENCY OF THE COORDINATION BODY

29. March 2018.

Belgrade - Zoran Stankovic, the President of the Coordinating Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, said that the situation in those municipalities was stable, as it had been the year before, as well as that it was free from political failures and security breaches.

He noted that the talks between representatives of the local self-governments and governmental bodies in that sphere were held on a daily basis, and that the tensions in Kosovo and Metohija from the previous few days had not spilled over to the southern part of Serbia. Mr. Stankovic underscored that representatives of the Albanian local authorities in Presevo and Bujanovac fully respected the laws and legal norms of the government of Serbia.

Sciprim Arifi, the Mayor of Presevo, said that the events from Kosovska Mitrovica had not had any impact on the residents of that area and on the local authorities.

"It is more important for us to talk about the unresolved issues than about the relations between Serbia and Kosovo. We are still the hostages of unresolved issues between Serbia and Kosovo," Mayor Arifi pointed out and said that the most important thing for the Albanians in Presevo is the resolution of the issue of the court in that city, the provision of healthy drinking water and an improvement in the field of human rights.

Mayor Arifi also pointed to the longstanding problem of the closed Miratovac-Lojane border crossing betwewen Serbia and Macedonia, which is of great importance for residents of the municipality of Presevo.

“The Republic of Serbia has done everything to enable the opening of that border crossing. Serbia is committed to a positive solution of the issue, " Mr. Stankovic said.

Saip Kamberi, the Mayor of Bujanovac, said that he did not believe that the events from Kosovska Mitrovica would spill over to South Serbia.

However, he warned about, as he characterized them, the "alarming statements" of Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska.

Nebojsa Arsic, the Mayor of Medvedja, said that the situation in that municipality was stable, and that cooperation between Serbs and Albanians was at the highest possible level.

"We do not divide the problems of the municipality into two parts, they are the same for all of us. We need new jobs for young people and a better use of natural resources that we have, "Mayor Arsic said.

Source: Radio and TV of Vojvodina, “FoNet” news agency and Coordination Body