Belgrade. August 1. INTERFAX - Serious problems were miraculously avoided on the administrative border of Serbia and the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija last night, says Petar Petkovic, Director of the Office of Kosovo and Metohija under the Government of Serbia.
"Tonight we were one step away from serious clashes - about 100 heavily armed special forces of the Kosovo police with armored vehicles and water cannons were ready to intervene, and they had plans to blame the Serbs who defended the right to movement and residence," Serbian television quoted him as saying.
"The accusations against Belgrade that they want clashes there, that they want to invade Kosovo and Metohija and destabilize the Western Balkans are lies," Petkovic added, asking what interest Belgrade might have in this regard.
The situation on the administrative border of Serbia and the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija is currently relatively calm, but a complicated situation remains at some checkpoints.
At some checkpoints, Kosovo Serbs are lifting the blockade of transport routes, at others, the local administration of Kosovo has begun issuing special passes to drivers with Serbian license plates and documents.
Serbian TV and radio channel RTS notes that last night passed relatively calmly, there were no clashes or confrontation.
At the same time, in the northern (Serbian) part of the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija, local authorities began to hang posters with inscriptions in Serbian: "Welcome to the Union of Serbian Communities."
The situation in the region became more complicated after, in protest against the decision of the local Kosovo authorities to ban cars with Serbian license plates and corresponding Serbian documents from entering the territory of the province from August 1, roads and barricades began to be blocked in Serbian communities of the province on Sunday. Because of this, several checkpoints on the administrative border of Serbia and Kosovo had to be temporarily closed.
On Monday night, it became known that, at the call of the United States, the administration of the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija postponed the introduction of prohibitive measures against car owners with Serbian license plates and documents for a month.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, at the end of consultations at the General Staff of the country's armed forces, thanked the Kosovo Serbs for their position in the complicated situation.
"Pristina has been preparing this action for a long time. Many thanks to the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija for their restraint and bravery. We are facing an extremely difficult political struggle," Serbian television quoted Vucic as saying.
"It is extremely important for us to continue the dialogue, so that we begin to solve problems peacefully. We will do everything to calm the situation. Regardless of the difficulties, we will not give up, Serbia will win," he said.
