Why Valley is becoming Serbia's battlefield with Kosovo

The electricity substation in Vallach is the assets of Kosovo's System, Transmission and Electricity Market (KOSTT), is old as substation and needs to be rehabilitated, COST officials say.

The electricity substation in Vallach is one of the points that supplies electricity to the four Serb majority municipalities in northern Kosovo and to the Uyman hydropower plant (Gazioda), as well as to the Kosovo distribution network and to the 2013 and 2015 Brussels Energy Agreement.

KOSSTAT officials have told Radio Free Europe, that “to boost the security and credibility of operating this substation, as well as the security of the electricity supply of the locked parties, COST has planned to revis substation and exchange of 110kV high-tension equipment to the Vallac”. However, COSTT has not provided details as to when planned revulsion can be accomplished and how.

But, Serbia's Electric Network has said that the energy issue in northern Kosovo is not only energy issues, but also complex political and judicial issues, as well as the subject of negotiations.

Who pays the workers in Vallach?

COST officials have stressed that operators, like all substations 110/35 kV, are COST workers. But, however, this institution has stressed that it has no information who currently pays the operators at the Vallach substation.

But in a written response to Radio Free Europe, Serbia's Electric Network has said workers at the Vallach substation get paid.

“are employed indefinitely in Serbia's Electric Network (Electrreza Srbije), there are seven and do not receive salaries from the state budget, but from the employer, either Serbia's Electrical Network company”, it says in response.

The case for Vallaci's substation was re-actualised by Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, who, on November 5th, has declared that he expects Kosovo authorities will soon try to take over Vallaci's electricity substation in northern Kosovo, saying such a thing is possible since 6 November.

Vuciq has added that Pristina will choose the moment when it will, but he has begged him not to do so, with tones meaning Serbia will react without determining how.

Similar statements Vuciq had made earlier.

So far, Kosovo government officials have not commented on Vuciki's statements. But these Serbian president's statements by former Kosovo Minister for Dialogue Edita Tahiri and political analyst Artan Muhhaxhiri are being praised as stimulating and provocative to Kosovo./Full text: rel/