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MR. STANKOVIĆ AND THE ALBANIAN POLITICAL LEADERS DISCUSS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REPORT THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT

24. June 2013.

Zoran Stankovic,  President of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, said in Bujanovac that it had beem agreed that the Albanian political leaders from the three municipalities would, by July 15, talk with the Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic about the  implemenatciji of the seven-point report, which contains their requirements.  

All Albanian political leaders shaped their suggestions for solving the problems in Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja in an eight-point report, which was adopted on February 25, 2013, at a joint meeting held at the OSCE office in Bujanovac and in the presence of the Coordination Body.

On June 4, 2013, the Serbian Government adopted the report, which had seven points, since the eighth point had been split up  into the remaining seven points.

Following a meeting with all political leaders from the three municipalities, President of the Coordination Body, Zoran Stankovic, said in Bujanovac that the way in which the discussions between the Albanian leaders and the Government of Serbia would be led had been set. 

"I expect that the Prime Minister and the ministers will receive the Albanian leaders by July 15  and after that we’ll have a working summer, during which we’ll  prepare draft solutions and everything that should be carried out , which will fully contribute to the stabilization of the situation in the region", said Mr. Stankovic.

Mr. Stankovic said that the discussions on the topics, which are grouped into seven units, should begin in September, and that the agreements reached would be implemented through the Government’s decisions, as short-term solutions that were feasible over the next six months, as mid-term solutions that were feasible within one year and as long –term solutions that would be implemented in two or more years.

“The issue of voter registration is one of the issues that will be addressed in the short period of six months. Everything that the Albanian leaders had set as topics of discussion on February 25, the Government accepted and decided to address them", said Mr. Stankovic. . He said that it should be defined where the talks would be conducted and who, in addition to representatives of the Government of Serbia and the Albanians, would be present at the meetings.

Mayor of Bujanovac, Nagip Arifi, said that it was likely that representatives of all Albanian political parties from the municipalities of Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja would be present at the first meeting with Prime Minister Ivica Dacic.  

"After that we should agree among ourselves and select a man who would be a coordinator. 13 ministries are in charge of various departments, and which point will be firstly discussed depends on the Albanian side and on a specific ministry that is ready to start the talks”, Mr. Arifi said. He said that the talks between the political representatives of the Albanians in Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja with the Serbian government regarding the addressing of vital issues in that area were, on June 10, supported by a group of ambassadors called the "Friends of South Serbia".

The meeting with the President of the Coordination Body, which was held  on the premises of the OSCE office in Bujanovac, was attended by MP Riza Halimi, who is also Leader of the Party for Democratic Action, Saip Kanberi, Leader of the branch of the said party in Bujanovac, Jonuz Musliu, Leader of the Movement for Democratic Progress, Mayor of Presevo, Ragmi Mustafa, who is also  Leader of the Democratic Party of Albanians, Skender Destani, Leader of the Democratic Union of the Valley and Rahmi Zulfiu, Leader of the Democratic Union of Albanians.

The topics for discussion relate to representation of Albanians in the state institutions, the economic recovery of the three municipalities, the official use of the language, script and national symbols, the decentralization of the judiciary, education, culture and the media, healthcare and social welfare and confidence- building measures in the area. 

Source: BETA