Raskovic-Ivic: Kosovo dominated by fear and dread
Radio Television Serbia, Belgrade, Sunday, July 16, 2006 19:32
President of the Coordinating Center Sanda Raskovic-Ivic said that in all the locations she visited in Kosovo and Metohija the Serb population is dominated by feelings of fear and dread but also of hope. After a four-day visit to Kosovo Raskovic-Ivic assessed the situation on the ground as extremely difficult, and she confirmed that there is no freedom of movement and that the environment in which the Serbs are living "encourages disorganization".
"People have almost become inured to the fact that they are not safe but they are afraid of stories about an independent Kosovo," said Raskovic-Ivic at a press conference in Kosovska Mitrovica. She conveyed the expectations of Kosovo Serbs "that the Serbian state team for negotiations on future status and the state of Serbia will protect them, and retain Kosovo and Metohija within its borders".
"I did not see any progress on the ground. Security has not improved, which is the responsibility of KFOR and UNMIK, but it is our state that is responsible for economic prosperity," she said. "Young people have no jobs, there is a housing shortage, houses are destroyed, meadows are usurped and in addition to all this there are a lot of administrative problems that are making the lives of the Serbs even more difficult," she said.
Raskovic-Ivic emphasized that the question of decentralization has an important place, saying that "there was not one place that she had visited in the past four days that people had not asked whether their village or their location would be a part of the decentralization process because they see this as the key to their own survival".
President of the Coordinating Center Sanda Raskovic-Ivic said that in all the locations she visited in Kosovo and Metohija the Serb population is dominated by feelings of fear and dread but also of hope. After a four-day visit to Kosovo Raskovic-Ivic assessed the situation on the ground as extremely difficult, and she confirmed that there is no freedom of movement and that the environment in which the Serbs are living "encourages disorganization".
"People have almost become inured to the fact that they are not safe but they are afraid of stories about an independent Kosovo," said Raskovic-Ivic at a press conference in Kosovska Mitrovica. She conveyed the expectations of Kosovo Serbs "that the Serbian state team for negotiations on future status and the state of Serbia will protect them, and retain Kosovo and Metohija within its borders".
"I did not see any progress on the ground. Security has not improved, which is the responsibility of KFOR and UNMIK, but it is our state that is responsible for economic prosperity," she said. "Young people have no jobs, there is a housing shortage, houses are destroyed, meadows are usurped and in addition to all this there are a lot of administrative problems that are making the lives of the Serbs even more difficult," she said.
Raskovic-Ivic emphasized that the question of decentralization has an important place, saying that "there was not one place that she had visited in the past four days that people had not asked whether their village or their location would be a part of the decentralization process because they see this as the key to their own survival".
posted by Snezana @ 14:07
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