Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Kosovo and Metohia Dejan Radenkovic convened the seventh sitting so as to inform the Committee on the current situation in AP Kosovo-Metohija regarding the formation of Kosovo security forces.

Following the discussion involving the Committee members, deputies and the Minister for Kosovo-Metohija, the Committee adopted conclusions that deem the formation of the so-called Kosovo security forces contrary to international law and United Nations documents and a potentially serious and lasting security threat in this part of Serbia. Kosovo-Metohija is a part of Serbia under the protectorate of the United Nations and the peace mission members can be the only armed formations in it. The Committee on Kosovo and Metohia believes that in order to establish lasting peace in the southern province, the UN forces must conduct a thorough and full demilitarisation of the Province, because the paramilitary groups in Kosovo-Metohija are the greatest threat to peace in the whole region.

The Committee on Kosovo and Metohia entreats Serbs from the southern province not to participate in the creation of the so-called Kosovo security forces paramilitary formation.

The Committee appeals to the members of the Serbian and other communities in Kosovo-Metohija not to fall for the Albanian extremists’ provocations.

The Committee demands that the competent Serbian authorities request consistent respect for international law from the international institutions by a harsh diplomatic action and prevent the violation of UN Resolution 1244.

The Committee believes that the problems in Kosovo-Metohija are the most vital state and national issue and should not be used as a reason and means for party disputes, because that is not in the interest of the survival of Serbs in the Province, and it also damages the state’s efforts to keep Kosovo-Metohija within the Republic of Serbia.

The sitting, held on 23 January, was attended by the Minister for Kosovo-Metohija, Goran Bogdanovic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Stanimir Vukicevic and State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense, Dusan Spasojevic.

In the continuation, the Committee members elected Ljubomir Kragovic Committee Chairman.

The sitting was chaired by the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Kosovo and Metohia, Dejan Radenkovic.