Serbian government will not allow Trepca to be snatched away

BELGRADE - The Serbian government will not accept the unilateral decision of the Kosovo government to take over the ownership of the Mining, Metallurgical and Chemical Combine Trepca, because the Republic of Serbia Development Fund owns a majority stake in the mines, Director of the Serbian government's Office for Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) Marko Djuric said Sunday.

On January 15, the government of Kosovo adopted amendments to the law on public enterprises to make taking over Trepca easier.

The Presidency of the Assembly of Kosovo decided to debate the amendments under urgent procedure at a meeting scheduled for January 19 to make sure that the Kosovo government could take over 100 percent of all ownership and management rights in Trepca on February 2.

The Serbian government today urged the international community to use its influence and react so that the issue could be resolved within the framework of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and not by unilateral moves and legal violence.

The government pointed out that about 4,000 Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija and about 20,000 members of their families depended on Trepca.

Djuric said that there was only one word for the seizure of Trepca - robbery.
"Keep your hands off our property!" Djuric told Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Hasim Taci, warning them that by seizing Trepca they would render the entire negotiating process in Brussels, which should be resumed on February 9, meaningless.

Djuric called the unilateral decision by the authorities in Pristina a rough violation of property rights.
"The attempt to change the ownership structure in Trepca is unreasonable and will lead to a serious violation of trust after two and a...