MR. STANKOVIC: BLACKMAIL DOESN’T BRING ANYONE ANYTHING GOOD

25. November 2013.

Zoran Stankovic, President of the Coordination Body of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja Bujanovac, said to representatives of the Albanians from South Serbia, who had decided to break off the talks with the Government of the Republic of Serbia since their proposal regarding the return of the courts and prosecutors' offices to Presevo and Bujanovac was rejected, that Serbia wouldn't accept their blackmail.

"The policy of blackmail never brought any good to those who wish to achieve their goals by pursuing such policy, especially as the talks started to produce concrete results," said Mr. Stankovic and pointed out that the reply of the Albanians from South Serbia was "politically non-cultured".

Leaders of political parties of the Albanians from South Serbia discontinued their dialogue until basic courts and prosecutors' offices were returned to them and misdemeanor courts established, while they accused Belgrade of discrimination.

Riza Halimi claims that 40, 000 Albanians live in the area of Presevo, who must have a judicial network, and that the decision to interrupt the talks with the Government of the Republic of Serbia, which had been reached at a joint meeting of the leaders of the Albanians held in the municipality of Presevo, was primarily caused by a rejection of the amendments that Mr. Halimi addressed to the Serbian Parliament during the debate on the network of courts.

"We didn’t reach a decision on termination of the talks, but the Serbian government did, which had adopted such a decision, by putting forward to the Parliament such a discriminatory law proposal for Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja", said Riza Halimi, President of the Party for Democratic Action.

Prime Minister Ivica Dacic replied to them that they had no one to talk to except the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

"If they won't talk to us, who will they talk to, since they have no one else," said Mr. Dacic.

Representatives of the Albanians announced that they would send a letter to the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, in which they would seek guarantees that the Government's promises of the previous dialogue be fulfilled.

Source: Frankfurt News, B92 and Coordination Body