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Vucic fumes about response of international community to Pristina’s actions

The president reiterated that he had timely and persistently warned that the situation was developing in that direction and that Pristina’s behavior, if it went unpunished, would have consequences

BELGRADE, May 30. /TASS/. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday expressed displeasure about how parts of the international community responded to Pristina’s moves which, as he said, brought on violence against Serbs.

He vented his displeasure in a statement from the presidential press service that followed his meeting with the ambassadors from the US, the UK, Germany, Italy and France, which are the member countries of the Quint group.

"President Vucic expressed deep dissatisfaction and deep concern about the fact that part of the international community continues to put up with the unilateral actions of Pristina, which cause violence against the Serbian community, reducing the number of options that could lead to permanent peace and stability in the region," the statement said. "The president reiterated that he had timely and persistently warned that the situation was developing in that direction and that Pristina’s behavior, if it went unpunished, would have consequences."

The statement said Pristina "not only fails to comply with its commitments, but also makes forceful unilateral moves against the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija, with multiple and frequent incidents that lead to injuries, beatings, mistreatment and overt discrimination against Serbs."

According to the statement, Vucic briefed the ambassadors on the chronology of events during the escalation in northern Kosovo and Metohija and expressed dissatisfaction that the NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo (known as KFOR) did not protect the Serbs and did not prevent the illegal seizure of administrative buildings in the north of the region.

The situation in the Serbian municipalities in northern Kosovo and Metohija escalated on May 26 after the Kosovo police seized administrative buildings in the municipalities of Zvecan, Zubin Potok, and Leposavic. The police sought to make it possible for the new mayors of these municipalities to assume office after they won the elections that were boycotted by the Serb population.

On May 29, the NATO-led international security forces sealed off the administrative buildings that drew local protesters, which was followed by clashes. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said 52 Serbs sought help in a Kosovska Mitrovica hospital. Three of them had serious injuries, he said. The NATO-led forces reported that more than 20 of their soldiers - Italian and Hungarian members of KFOR - sustained wounds. Italy and Hungary said 11 and 20 of their respective soldiers were injured.

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