SERBIAN RAILWAYS TAKE OVER SECTION OF KOSOVO RAILWAYS IN NORTHERN KOSOVO - TV
BBC Monitoring International Reports - March 3, 2008 Monday

Text of report by Serbian public broadcaster RTS TV

[Presenter] Employees of Kosovo Railways today joined protests [against Kosovo independence] throughout Kosovo-Metohija. They do not wish to work in the institutions of the false Kosovo state. Starting from today, Serbian Railways Company is taking over the authorities over infrastructure in stations starting from Lesak, Leposavic, Ibarska Slatina to Zvecan. We have our correspondent Sanja Dragicevic on a direct line.

[Reporter] the Kosovo Railways train operating on Kosovo Polje-Lesak line was this morning stopped by Serb employees, some 50 of them working in the Kosovo Railways. They said that they did not want to work in the institutions of a false state of Kosovo, which, as they emphasized, did not even exist.

The chairman of Serbian Railways' managing committee, [Serbian PM's Democratic Party of Serbia - DSS spokesman] Branislav Ristivojevic, said that this company - in addition to 50 employees who were working in the Kosovo Railways - would starting today employ the remaining ones who had been expelled from their work [since 1999].

Over the past nine years, UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] representatives have had the authorities over the Kosovo Railways and they transferred their authorities to some Kosovo institutions which were unable to adequately carry out the transport, Branislav Ristivojevic said. This is why the taking over of infrastructure would improve infrastructure and transport of passengers, he said.

New lines on Belgrade-Zvecan line were also announced. UNMIK representatives and the [Kosovo] railways headquartered in Pristina have not voice their opinion over latest events. Citizens of the northern part of [Kosovska] Mitrovica joined the protest by railway employees.

[Presenter] This was Sanja Dragicevic live from Kosovska Mitrovica.

Source: RTS1 TV, Belgrade, in Serbian 1100gmt 03 Mar 08
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