MR. STANKOVIĆ: THE ALBANIANS FROM THE SOUTHERN PART OF CENTRAL SERBIA ARE NOT A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION IN BRUSSELS

16. July 2018.

Belgrade –"The Albanians from the southern part of central Serbia are not a topic of discussion in Brussels and their adoption of the" Political Declaration ", by which they seek to be involved in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, is rather political in nature because of the upcoming elections for the Albanian National Council," said Zoran Stankovic, the President of the Coordination Body of the Government the Republic of Serbia for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja.

„The international community has stated loud and clear - the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja are not, at any time, a subject for discussion in Brussels and it is explicitly and clearly stated. Therefore, I do not see what that reciprocity is and who and why seeks it, "Mr. Stankovic said.

On Saturday, the Assembly of Albanian deputies from the three municipalities in the southern part of central Serbia adopted a "Political Declaration", by which they called on the interim Kosovo institutions and the authorities in Belgrade to include the political status of Albanians from Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja, which is the territory in which they live, in the dialogue on normalization of the relations.

Mr. Stankovic said that that declaration was a continuation of their adoption of declarations and recalled that the first declaration was adopted in 2006, the second in 2013 and the present one in 2018.

"There are some things in the declaration that we are going to analyze, but there are also many unacceptable things that are based on general assessments, which are not true.“

As Mr. Stankovic said, the declaration might be useful to someone for pre-election activities, as the elections for the Albanian National Council are scheduled for November 4, as well as for gaining some other political points.

"However, given the role of the Coordination Body, it is not for us to make statements about it," Mr. Stankovic said.

Source: “Tanjug” news agency, Politika daily and Coordination Body