Serbia’s Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin says he has been banned from entering Kosovo, denouncing its leaders as “liars,” AP reports.

Vulin said on Wednesday that he and military personnel from Belgrade’s military hospital wanted to visit Kosovo Serbs who live in the north of the breakaway Serbian province.

Last week, Kosovo temporarily banned Serbian officials from entering the territory, saying they will reverse that position when Belgrade recognizes Kosovo’s statehood.

President Aleksandar Vucic said on July 3 that Serbia is using “alternative” mountain tracks to send goods to Serb-dominated northern Kosovo to avoid having to pay a 100 percent import tax, according to Reuters. </s> BELGRADE, Serbia - Serbia’s defence minister says he has been banned from entering Kosovo, denouncing its leaders as “liars.”

Aleksandar Vulin, known for his bombastic and pro-Russia stance, said in a statement Wednesday that he and military personnel from Belgrade’s military hospital wanted to visit Kosovo Serbs who live in the north of the former Serbian province. </s> Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin and his official delegation have been banned from traveling to Kosovo for a planned working visit to a local medical center, media reported on Wednesday

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2019) Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin and his official delegation have been banned from traveling to Kosovo for a planned working visit to a local medical center, media reported on Wednesday.

On July 4, Kosovo said it might bar all Serbian officials from entering its territory over what it called "constant propaganda and false news." Following a wave of criticism from Brussels and Belgrade, Kosovar Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said these plans were not true.

According to the local Tanjug news agency, Vulin and his delegation of health experts from the Serbian Defense Ministry were headed to the Kosovska-Mitrovica Clinical center in a bid to boost its cooperation with the Military Medical academy of Belgrade.

"Yet another demonstration that Haradinaj has lied," a source in the Serbian Defense Ministry said, as quoted by the news outlet.

The Defense Ministry has yet to officially confirm the reports.

Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. Three years later, after being pressured by the European Union, the Serbian government started negotiations with the Albanian Kosovar government to normalize their relations, albeit with little success.

Relations between Belgrade and Prishtina took a turn for the worst in May after Kosovar police carried out violent raids in Serb-populated areas of the partially recognized state under the pretext of combating organized crime. Following the incident, Serbia deployed military vehicles and a MiG-29 fighter to its border with Kosovo. </s> Serbia's defense minister says he has been banned from entering Kosovo, denouncing its leaders as "liars."

Aleksandar Vulin, known for his bombastic and pro-Russia stance, said in a statement Wednesday that he and military personnel from Belgrade's military hospital wanted to visit Kosovo Serbs who live in the north of the former Serbian province.

Kosovo last week temporarily banned Serbian officials from entering the country, saying they will reverse that position when Belgrade recognizes Kosovo's statehood.

Although the U.S. and most of the West recognize Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence, Serbia and its ally Russia do not.

Using a derogatory term in Serbia for ethnic Albanians, Vulin said Kosovo's leaders are "liars who don't want Serbs" in Kosovo.

He said "they want their state, their territory." </s> In this photo taken Monday, April 23, 2018, Serbia Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin, right, walks behind Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia. Kosovo has temporarily banned Serbian officials from entering the country, triggering angry reaction from Belgrade. Vulin says the latest ban is an attempt to “cut ties” between Kosovo Serbs and Serbia. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s defense minister says he has been banned from entering Kosovo, denouncing its leaders as “liars.”

Aleksandar Vulin, known for his bombastic and pro-Russia stance, said in a statement Wednesday that he and military personnel from Belgrade’s military hospital wanted to visit Kosovo Serbs who live in the north of the former Serbian province.

Kosovo last week temporarily banned Serbian officials from entering the country, saying they will reverse that position when Belgrade recognizes Kosovo’s statehood.

Although the U.S. and most of the West recognize Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence, Serbia and its ally Russia do not.

Using a derogatory term in Serbia for ethnic Albanians, Vulin said Kosovo’s leaders are “liars who don’t want Serbs” in Kosovo.

He said “they want their state, their territory.” </s> PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) - Kosovo has temporarily banned Serbian officials from entering the country, triggering an angry reaction from Belgrade.

Kosovo's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that because of "Serbia's threats against Kosovo and continuous propaganda" all requests by Serbian officials "will be rejected as long as this behavior continues."

The move comes after Serbian officials claimed Kosovo's government was trying to create a "humanitarian crisis" in the country's Serb-populated north with a 100% import tax slapped on Serbian goods last year.

Serbia does not recognize the 2008 independence declaration of Kosovo, a former Serbian province.

Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin says the entry ban is an attempt to "cut ties" between Kosovo Serbs and Serbia, and "this simply won't be allowed to happen."

Serb officials need entry permits from Pristina to visit Kosovo.

In this photo taken Monday, April 23, 2018, Serbia Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin, right, walks behind Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia. Kosovo has temporarily banned Serbian officials from entering the country, triggering angry reaction from Belgrade. Vulin says the latest ban is an attempt to "cut ties" between Kosovo Serbs and Serbia. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

In this photo taken Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, a car passes by a billboard that reads: '"Welcome, President" and shows Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, near village of Lesak in northern Kosovo. Kosovo has temporarily banned Serbian officials from entering the country, triggering angry reaction from Belgrade. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) </s> PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) - Kosovo temporarily banned Serbian officials from entering the country, triggering an angry reaction from Belgrade on Thursday.

Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry said it took the action because of “Serbia’s threats against Kosovo and continuous propaganda” and that all entry requests from Serbian officials “will be rejected as long as this behavior continues.”

The move comes after Serbian officials claimed Kosovo’s government was trying to create a “humanitarian crisis” in the country’s Serb-populated north with a 100% import tax slapped on Serbian goods last year.

Kosovo Serb shop owners closed their stores in northern Kosovo for two days this week to protest the taxes.

Kosovo Foreign Ministry spokesman Jetlir Zyberaj said the closures took place “because of Belgrade’s political objectives.”

Serbia does not recognize the 2008 independence declaration of Kosovo, a former Serbian province.

Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin said the latest entry ban was an attempt to “cut all ties” between Kosovo Serbs and “their” Serbian leadership, and “this simply won’t be allowed to happen.”

Using the derogatory term in Serbia for ethnic Albanians, Vulin said the Kosovo government’s ban was “not politics, but retaliation.”

Serb officials need entry permits from Pristina to visit Kosovo, but have sometimes managed to enter using alternative routes through forests. </s> BELGRADE – The delegations of the Serbian Ministry of Defense and military doctors led by the country’s Defense Minister Alexander Vulin did not give permission to visit the clinical center in Kosovska Mitrovica in the north of the self-proclaimed Kosovo. This is stated in the message of the military department distributed today, July 10.

Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia, and is recognized as such at the level of the UN. Governments representing the vast majority of the world’s population also recognize that Kosovo is Serbia. The blocking of a Serbian official from a part of Serbian territory is in itself a violation of international norms.

It notes that a response was given at the request of the Serbian side, stating that “it is not possible to respond positively to the request”.

The Serbian Ministry of Defense also states that the Pristina ban on entering Pristina violated the Brussels Agreement, which stipulates the possibility of Serbian officials to enter the territory of the region without hindrance. The document emphasizes that the visit of the delegation was of a humanitarian nature.

Earlier in Pristina there were statements that Serbian officials would be banned from entering Kosovo. After a harsh reaction from Belgrade and Brussels, Prime Minister of the unrecognized entity, Ramush Haradinai, said that there was no such decision. Howevver, today’s row points in an entirely other direction. </s> Kosovo has temporarily banned Serbian officials from entering the country, triggering an angry reaction from Belgrade.

Kosovo's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that because of "Serbia's threats against Kosovo and continuous propaganda" all requests by Serbian officials "will be rejected as long as this behavior continues."

The move comes after Serbian officials claimed Kosovo's government was trying to create a "humanitarian crisis" in the country's Serb-populated north with a 100% import tax slapped on Serbian goods last year.

Serbia does not recognize the 2008 independence declaration of Kosovo, a former Serbian province.

Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin says the entry ban is an attempt to "cut ties" between Kosovo Serbs and Serbia, and "this simply won't be allowed to happen."

Serb officials need entry permits from Pristina to visit Kosovo.
Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin is banned from entering Kosovo.