A group of Serbs stopped Friday a meeting between representatives of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Kosovo construction companies, protesting the presence of the American agency in the northern part of the province until it accepts its legitimate Serb institutions.

The meeting due to take place at 10 a.m. in a hotel near Zvecan fell through after the Serbs blocked the Kosovska Mitrovica-Pristina road and prevented the passage of USAID representatives. The agency is working on the restoration of a sports court in Mitrovica's ethnically mixed Microsettlement.

In a statement with Tanjug, Kosovska Mitrovica Municipal President Krstimir Pantic reiterated that the municipal authorities passed a decision March 29 banning USAID from operating in northern Kosovo until it accepts that the north has legal and legitimately elected Serb institutions, which enjoy the support of the great majority of Serbs, and not the so-called municipal preparation team which has no support in the north.

Acting deputy head of mission USAID Kosovo Jose Garzon told Tanjug Friday that the goal of today's visit to Zvecan was creating jobs and meeting with potential contractors.


UNMIK head "powerless before US pressures"

Representatives of the Kosovska Mitrovica municipality condemned Friday the behavior of UNMIK Head Lamberto Zannier, who issued the order granting the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) permission to work on the restoration of a sports court in Mitrovica's ethnically mixed Microsettlement, despite opposition from the UNMIK advisory body.

The goal of the American organization is to promote the municipal preparation team and organize municipal elections in northern Mitrovica, which would later be integrated into Kosovo society and institutions, it was assessed at a news conference.

Kosovska Mitrovica Municipal President Krstimir Pantic and head of the UNMIK advisory body Nebojsa Minic called on UNMIK representatives to act in line with Resolution 1244.

They warned that UNMIK will be responsible for any destabilization in the area, and again urged UNMIK Head Lamberto Zannier to resign if he cannot resist US pressures coming from the US office in Pristina.