After taking over of the authority over the railway infrastructure on the northern part of Kosovo, “Serbian Railways”, are trying to ascertain technical status and remove defects on the track Lešal-Zvečane, in order to organize safe traffic on this relation.

Discussions between management of Serbian railways and UMNIK representatives in Belgrade, which were held yesterday, did not give joint position about cession of total right on the organization of traffic on the northern part of Kosovo and Metohija to Serbian railways.

Although “Serbian Railways”, by organizing the traffic on the March 3, from Leška to Zvečane, made first step forward, still, the offered argumentation to continue to do so for the purpose of more successful transport of all citizens of the soutnern Serb province, was not enough. The decisions of UMNIK representatives are incomprehensible, to react on such gesture of Serbian railways by suspending not only the railway traffic on the north part of Kosovo and Metohija, but from Kosovo Polje to Kosovska Mitrovica, as well. By doing so, it is maybe cut off the only, so far, safe traffic connection between Serbs and other inhabitants which live in the enclaves around Priština.

At the same time, at the railway node in Raška, every day great quantuty of goods are accumulated. These goods should be directed towards more railway destinations on Kosovo and Metohija. Buyers of the greatest part of these goods are Albanian businessmen.

For the purpose of reminding, “Serbian Railways”, ceded on using the infrastructure and train facilities to UNMIK railway, by Temporary Agreement in 2002, and representatives of UN administration on Kosovo roughly violated the Resolution of the Security Council, because they handed over the property of Serbian railways to be managed by so called Railways of Kosovo.
Although, almost nine years passed from the moment since “Serbian Railways” do not manage with its infrastructure in our northern province, UNMIK did not invest anything in its maintenance. Thereby, there is a great concern of the competent persons within “Serbian Railways” for the security of the railway traffic on the whole territory of Kosovo and Metohija, especially on the northern part of the province.

The concern of Serbian railways for traffic security on this territory is bigger, because all railwaymen of Serbian nationality terminated the contracts of temporary employment with UNMIK railways. Thereby, the railway operation on the northern part of Kosovo and Metohija will be almost impossible, unless joint agreement about cession of the total right on organization of the traffic on this territory, with UNMIK and “Serbian Railways”, is reached.

Therefore,”Serbian Railways”, within the next few days, expect positive answer from the UNMIK management, in order to organize railway traffic on the northern part of Kosovo and Metohija, because it is in the interest of all citizens and normalization of the life in the southern Serbian privince.