Serbia claims soldiers close to Kosovo border prevented log smuggling

The Serbian Defence Ministry has reacted to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti's statement that Serbian Army forces have approached about 50m close to the border on Saturday, saying that “security authorities” have interrupted “the illegally cut wooden smuggling”.

In a communiqué issued on 13 October, Serbian authorities have charged Kurti with “following the deinforming campaign against the Serbian Army and security forces”.

“In posting on social networks are seen members of Serbia's armed forces in the land security area carrying out regular duties for securing administrative line, in line with military-technical agreements and all other agreements signed”, it is said in the statement.

Among other things, it has been mentioned that military officials seen in photographs have been preventing smuggling.

Security assets with their activities have halted illegal logging activities on Kosovo's territory, with what cases the wood robbers have fled to Kosovo”, it is said in response.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said Saturday evening that Serbia has provoked again, “moving its troops about 50m near the border line with Kosovo”, more precisely near the municipality of Kamenica.

Delivering several photos on Facebook, Kurti has said Serbian military troops have left after noticing that Kosovo authorities have recorded their actions.

The government of the Republic of Kosovo has made unprecedented investments in the establishment and improvement of the capacities of our intelligence, security and defence structures, which are ready to prevent any threat to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our state”.

Kosovo and Serbia share a long border line of about 350km.

Over 60 percent of this line includes municipalities in northern Kosovo, inhabited by Serb majority.

Much of it is a rough, uninhabitable area.

The two countries have reached agreement on integrated border management in December 2011.

For Kosovo the border line is the administrative line for Serbia.

Kosovo border security with Serbia responsible mission NATO in Kosovo, KFOR, while for the rest of the Kosovo border line, the Kosovo Police.

However, under a 2014 decision by the commander of the world's KFOR, police can patrol the Kosovo border- Serbia, up to a mile near the line of division.

Currently, KFOR has over 4,400 military troops in Kosovo.

NATO has increased its presence in Kosovo during 2023, following increasing tensions in the Serb-dominated north. / REL