Serbia's Tadic celebrates Orthodox Easter in Kosovo

28/04/2008

PRISTINA, Kosovo -- Serbian President Boris Tadic attended Orthodox Easter mass at the monastery of Visoki Decani in western Kosovo on Sunday (April 27th). Tadic told UNMIK that his visit was private, though it came just two weeks ahead of Serbia's May 11th elections. "I have come to celebrate and meet the people here who live under strict isolation and in hard conditions," Tadic told reporters. Kosovo leaders interpreted Tadic's visit as politically provocative. Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said Tadic made history as "the first president of a country to visit the independent and sovereign state of Kosovo".

In other news, three Kosovo Serbs suffered injuries Sunday from a hand grenade tossed out of a passing car in the village of Leposavic in northern Kosovo. The Kosovo Police Force said all three victims, aged 22, are in hospital in Mitrovica. (Koha Ditore, Express, Zeri - 28/04/08; RTK, Telegrafi, Tanjug, AP - 27/04/08)