Serbia completes border demilitarization

Serbia completes border demilitarization

By United Press International Published Feb/1/2007

Meets condition for EU talks

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Serbian police on Thursday assumed control of security along the country's 1,304-mile long borders, replacing the military, Belgrade media said Thursday.This is the first time the state borders were demilitarized since Serbian King Peter Karadjordjevic formed special border troops in December 1913.Police took over the last section of the border with Macedonia, having completed the replacement of troops along borders with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro and Romania, Belgrade's B92 radio reported.At a ceremony in Belgrade, Serbian Defense Minister Zoran Stankovic said the replacement of troops was a major step in fulfilling European standards.He said Serbia has met conditions to apply integrated management of the borders and provided conditions for continuing talks with the European Union to make issuing travel visas easier to Serbian nationals.Police officials said they will use about 6,000 officers to control the borders.