A meeting between four presidents of northern Kosovo municipalities and representatives of international missions in Kosovo was finished at around 5 p.m. without results.Head of the Zvecan municipality Dragisa Milovic said each side presented its view, but no agreement was reached.

According to Milovic, they did agree to continue their negotiations, however, and the four local officials asked KFOR Commander Erhard Drews to guarantee there would be no attempt to remove roadblocks by force, but he could not guarantee that.

Still, the four presidents hope reason will prevail. Milovic noted that they told Drews and EULEX Chief Xavier Bout de Marnhac that the international forces could be given freedom of movement if EULEX stopped transporting Kosovo police and customs officials to administrative crossings.

The KFOR and EULEX officials, on the other hand, demanded unconditional freedom of movement, he added.
"This is a problem that cannot be solved by the four presidents, but has to be dealt with at a higher level," he stated, adding that they would go to Serbian President Boris Tadic.

Ristic: Status neutrality - condition for freedom of movement

Mayor of Zubin Potok Municipality Slavisa Ristic said that freedom of movement of international forces in northern Kosovo is possible if KFOR and EULEX confirm their status neutrality in the field.

If KFOR and EULEX say they will no longer carry the Kosovo police and customs officers and if they get those people away from the crossings, then it opens a space for free movement for all and for normal talks, Ristic said at the barricade in Jagnjenica, where early this morning, the Serbs thwarted KFOR’s attempt to remove obstacles towards the administrative crossing Brnjak.

Ristic reiterated that the Serbs are willing to allow free movement and ready for dialogue with representatives of international missions, but it is not possible until KFOR is trying to use force to impose the presence of Kosovo authorities’ representatives in the north of the Province.

He said that the Serbs on the barricades will remain calm as last night when they peacefully deterred KFOR from removing barricades.