Subject: Northern Kosovo Serbs want Yugoslav minister for the province
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 9:30:16 PDT
From: C-afp@... (AFP)
Organization: Copyright 2000 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet)
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BELGRADE, Oct 23 (AFP) - Representatives of Serbs living in
northern Kosovo appealed Monday for a Yugoslav ministry in charge of
the province to be formed, to help solving problems for Serbs living
there, Beta news agency reported.
Oliver Ivanovic, leader of the Serb National Council (SNV) in
Kosovska Mitrovica, met with new Yugoslav President Vojislav
Kostunica and called for a "special minister for Kosovo," the agency
said.
Such a figure "is necessary because it is important for the
Serbs in Kosovo to have people they can rely on," Ivanovic said,
expressing hope that the new authorities in Belgrade would be able
to speed up the return of Serbs to Kosovo.
Some 170,000 Serbs have fled Kosovo since June 1999 and the
deployment of international KFOR peacekeepers in the province, UN
refugee agencies estimate.
Ivanovic said it was "too early" to talk of a return of all
Serbs but indicated that there would be "discussions on what actions
could be taken next year."
"We have also discussed the fate of Serbs detained and kidnapped
in Kosovo, as well as the issue of Albanian prisoners in Serbia,"
Ivanovic said, adding that the new Yugoslav government should focus
on these issues.