Serb MPs Blocked at Border by Kosovo Police

Kosovo’s border police have turned back eight Serbian parliament members trying to enter Kosovo on Monday because they did not notify Kosovo’s ministry of external affairs of their official visit.

The eight delegates are members of the Parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, and were on their way to visit the village of Ranilluge near the western town of Gjilan. in order to observe the conditions of Kosovo Serbs. The group was stopped at border crossing number five, near the Serbian town of Presevo.

However, Police Spokesman Arben Beka reported that proper regulations were not followed by the group in order to grant them entrance into Kosovo.

“Kosovo’s border police received a decision from the ministry of internal affairs, concerning the disrespect of procedures foreseen in the Republic of Kosovo’s laws, to not allow entrance to a delegation coming from Serbia,” he said.

The Serbian officials opted to inform the United Nations office in Belgrade of their visit only, ignoring Kosovo’s institutions which Serbia does not recognise, insisting that the former province is still a part of their territory.

The group was scheduled to discuss self-governance in Serb-inhabited areas of Kosovo, and to evaluate the current conditions of the residents.