GUEST SHOT OF ZORAN STANKOVIC, PRESIDENT OF THE COORDINATION BODY FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES OF PRESEVO, BUJANOVAC AND MEDVEDJA, ON TV PINK

Belgrade – Zoran Stankovic, the President of the Coordination Body of the  Government of the Republic of Serbia for the Municipalities of  Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, was the guest of TV Pink’s program, during which he talked about the recent visit of the President of Albania to the municipalities of Presevo and Bujanovac.

Mr. Stankovic, the President of the Coordination Body, said that the visit was organized in accordance with the Protocol, that it was organized by the Government of the Republic of Serbia, with the assistance of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Tirana. He said that he was, on behalf of the Government of Republic of Serbia, tasked with meeting, accompanying and seeing the Albanian President off. Mr. Stankovic said that the visit had gone very well and that there were no any provocations or excesses. The President of the Coordination Body said that the Serbian flag had been hosted on all state institutions that the President of Albania visited, such as on the building of the Municipal Assembly of Bujanovac. He also stated that neither the Albanian nor the Serbian national anthem were intoned because it had been agreed so. Also, no other state ceremonies, which are provided in such situations, were held.

 "President Nisani of Albania had talks not only with the Albanian leaders who run the local self-governments in Presevo and Bujanovac, but also with representatives of the Serbian coalition that is in power in Bujanovac, that is with Stojanca Arsic and Boban Pavlovic. There were no inflammatory speeches, nor many people in the streets or the shouting of slogans, so that everything went off very professionally and correctly. The largest number of people was in front of the municipal building in Bujanovac, where around a thousand people waved flags and applauded, while the largest gathering of people in Presevo was at the community center, where there were around 500 people, as well as around 150 people in front of it, "Mr. Stankovic said.

The President of the Coordination Body pointed out that the main topic discussed was the Teachers' Day, as well as the provision of textbooks in the Albanian language to students of schools in the territory inhabited by the Albanian population, cultural exchanges and the establishment of cooperation between the young people of the Republic of Albania and the Republic Serbia. Mr. Stankovic emphasized that the Serbian side in the talks had imposed the question of solving the issues of the Albanians, which were laid out in the Seven-Point Report, which the Government of the Republic of Serbia adopted in 2013 and which should definitely get off the ground this year.

He also said that the statements, which the President of Albania and his closest associates gave after leaving our country, were very positive. The message that the President of Albania conveyed to the Albanians in South Serbia was the same as the one that the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama had passed to them, whereby they are an integral part of the Republic of Serbia in which they live and they must obey its laws and regulations.

Mr. Stankovic commented on the security situation in South Serbia, too, which he said was stable and stressed that there was no need whatsoever to undertake any specific security measures. The President of the Coordination Body said that there had been no incidents involving the local population, as well as that everything was solved through talks and dialogues with people in the local self-governments, which the Coordination Body had contacts with on a daily basis.

Source: TV Pink and Coordination Body