When will army return to normal state of readiness in south?

The state of the highest combat readiness in southern Serbia will be abolished once it is assessed that "the disturbances have been reduced."

Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin told this to RTS on Wednesday.

He added that a decision will be made after his conversation with Chief of the General Staff Milan Mojsilovic and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Vucic, who is also commander-in-chief of the Serbian Army, ordered the army to be placed at the highest combat readiness after Kosovo President Hashim Thaci traveled to Gazivode Lake on Saturday, accompanied by several dozen members of the Kosovo special police.

Vulin said that KFOR knew what was happening on Lake Gazivode, but pretended not to.

Commenting on the visit of Vucic to Moscow, where he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for two hours yesterday, Vulin said that Putin wanted to hear the position held by "a man whom they believe politically, and who has the power to move things in the region."

"It is a message to the whole world that in this difficult moment for Serbia, when there are numerous provocations, there are powerful countries willing to support Serbia," Vulin said.