Kurti blames „Serbia’s criminal gangs“ for tense situation

NEWS 01.06.202316:22
Albin Kurti
REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti blamed the situation in the north on “Serbia’s criminal gangs” and added that the police presence will be reduced once they are gone.

Kurti said that the situation was created by “armed groups pretending to be protesters but are actually Serbia’s criminal gangs”, Radio Free Europe reported him as saying.

Kosovo Internal Affairs Minister Xhelal Svecla said that one of the Serbs arrested on Tuesday was a soldier who fought in the 1999 battle for the Kosare border outpost, and claimed that the man was part of a Serbian military brigade used for destabilization.

“I can see a smaller Kosovo police presence in municipal administration buildings in the north once those criminal gangs of nationalism and extreme right chauvinism who love Milosevic and Putin leave,” Kurti told reporters, adding that “they can go to Serbia or we will have to take them to prison”.
He said that the buildings and other property will be protected from the gangs. “We can lower the (police) presence once they are gone or are in prison,” he added.