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Crisis 1999
News Archive 1999

No advance in Serbian-Albanian relationships

Press service of Serbian Orthodox Church "Orthodox press" issued a statement on Monday accusing KFOR soldiers of breaking into Serb houses searching for arms. KFOR soldiers are reacting to reports made by ethnic Albanians that some Serb houses are weapon storages, statement said. After soldiers break into house and eventually leave it, ethnic Albanians are entering through the broken doors and loot the houses.

Visoki Decani monastery monk, father Sava, officially asked for release of all Serbs kidnapped during last few weeks, and restoration of monuments of Serbian language reformatory Vuk Karadzic and Montenegrin poet and politician Njegos. He also commented the decision of Church officials and political leaders of Kosovo Serbs to cut all official contacts with KFOR, UN Civilian Mission and ethnic Albanian leaders. "We don't want to block peace process but to demonstrate our message that we cannot work until basic requirements for the survival and security of our people has been met, and also until KFOR took clear steps to protect Kosovo Serbs", he said.

Ethnic Albanian leader Hashim Thaqi also commented Kosovo Serb leaders decision to cut contacts with ethnic Albanians and international community representatives. He condemned the decision and said it "smacks of the politics of isolation practiced by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic". He added that his wish is that Serbs "don't continue Milosevic's game of boycott, a game which is not in the interests of Kosovo issues, not in the interest of Serbian people themselves and not in the interests of the Kosovo people's future".

Source: Free Serbia


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