AMBASSADORS IN A MEETING WITH COORDINATION BODY’S PRESIDENT

20. February 2014.

Zoran Stankovic, the President of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, met with the Ambassador of the United States, Michael Kirby, the Head of the EU Mission to Serbia, Ambassador Michael Davenport, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Ambassador Peter Burkhard and with the Charge d'Affaires of the British embassy, Mr. David McFarlane. The topics discussed in the meeting included the situation in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, the decision of the majority of the ethnic Albanian political leaders not to participate in the upcoming elections, the role of the Coordination Body in resolving the problems of the three municipalities and the international community’s assistance and cooperation in finding the solutions.

On that occasion, the ambassadors emphasized that they supported the Coordination Body’s efforts and hard work and agreed in their assessment that regardless of the fact that the formal talks had been frozen, daily activities and contacts weren’t interrupted. They commended the decision of those who would participate in the elections and suggested that the Coordination Body, within the laws, should help in ensuring the conditions for the smooth conduct of the elections in Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja.

The President of the Coordination Body said that he didn’t understand the decision of the majority of the ethnic Albanian politicians not to participate in the elections and stressed that such a decision was to the detriment of the population of those municipalities. Mr. Stankovic informed the ambassadors that he was in contact with the mayors of those municipalities on a daily basis and that the life and work of the people ran smoothly. He also informed them of the previous activities of the Coordination Body, as well of those in the coming period.

Source: Coordination Body