Macedonia returns to Serbia: Since when did you start guarding the forest with armed soldiers?

Prime Minister Albin Kurti said last night that Serbian Army forces have approached about 50m near the border on Saturday, saying Serb military troops have left after noticing that Kosovo authorities have recorded their actions.

But, to this Kurti statement, the Serbian Defence Ministry has reacted, which has accused Kurti of “following the disinformive campaign against the Serbian Army and security forces “, saying that the security authorities with their activities have halted illegal logging activities in Kosovo's territory, with what cases the wooden thieves have fled to Kosovo”.

To this statement by Serbian authorities, the Republic of Kosovo Defence Minister Ejup Macedonia has responded, who has said that Serbia after such cases always tries to reason.

“Since when did the Serbian Army start performing forest storage duties and, more so, armed soldiers with weapons and tactical equipment and military armoured vehicles? Because according to the Republic of Serbia forest law, specifically in its 40th article, it has been clearly defined that forest guards within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Waters are the only officials to preserve forests and prevent their illegal logging within Serbia's territory. Continuously, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Serbia strives to have the added military presence of Serbian soldiers near the territory of the Republic of Kosovo, to reason using completely unstable excuses, as it strives that even exercises with combat aircraft and offensive suicides, such as the “vihor 2024<2> exercise in Peshter, to present them as military preparations for defence of” territory, Macidos wrote.

He has said that Serbia's actions are indications of Serbia's hegemonistic and aggressive approach in relation to Kosovo and other neighbours.

Serbia's continued Militarianisation, and particularly the deployment of many military capacities south of its territory, is an indication of Serbia's continued hegemonic and aggressive approach in relation to Kosovo and other neighbours. However, the Republic of Kosovo stands firm on its path to Euro-Atlantic integration and will always remain determined to develop military capacities according to NATO standards, capable of protecting the country's territory and sovereignty and contributing to world peace and security”, Macedonia has written.