“Serbia can't exchange parts of own territory”

Minister Milan Markovic says he does not rule out new incidents in southern Serbia after the last week’s attack. “But this would not stop the integration in this part of the country,” said Markovic, who is heads the Public Administration and Local Self-Government department in the current government, and is also chief of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja. “Serbia can't exchange parts of own territory” He was referring to an attack on a policeman in the region, which is home to the largest ethnic Albanian population in Serbia outside of Kosovo. “The situation is very complicated and it is certain that there is a some connection between the events in Presevo and Bujanovac and the politics in Pristina,” he told Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti. Stating that ethnic Albanian leaders from these municipalities made regular visits to Pristina and that some parties worked closely with Albanian parties in Kosovo, the minister commented on the question about the possible “spilling over of instability” from the province’s north to the south of Serbia by saying that “our security forces are ready to protect all citizens and their property”. Asked about local Albanians suggestions that Presevo and Bujanovac should be “annexed to Kosovo in exchange for the north of the province”, Markovic said that “we cannot exchange what's ours for (something else that's) ours.” The minister also said that requests of Albanians from the three municipalities to have more representatives in the state organs, police and customs were still “on the table”, but that “the big obstacle was the fact that many do not speak Serbian, which was a big problem of our education system”. “However, steps forward have been made, for example, the chief of the Presevo police is an Albanian, as well as a large number of employees. The situation is similar in Bujanovac. Parallel with the integration of Albanians into the republic institutions, a process of Serbs entering the local governments, which are held by Albanians in Presevo and Bujanovac, must be carried out,” he pointed out. In this context, the minister emphasized the importance of national councils which he described as “the real places for solving contentious issues in education, integration, the use of official language and script, information and other areas”. “Almost all ethnic minorities have already done that and I expect Albanians to form their council soon,” Markovic stated. Milan Markovic (Tanjug)

“Serbia can't exchange parts of own territory”

He was referring to an attack on a policeman in the region, which is home to the largest ethnic Albanian population in Serbia outside of Kosovo.

“The situation is very complicated and it is certain that there is a some connection between the events in Preševo and Bujanovac and the politics in Priština,” he told Belgrade daily Večernje Novosti.

Stating that ethnic Albanian leaders from these municipalities made regular visits to Priština and that some parties worked closely with Albanian parties in Kosovo, the minister commented on the question about the possible “spilling over of instability” from the province’s north to the south of Serbia by saying that “our security forces are ready to protect all citizens and their property”.

Asked about local Albanians suggestions that Preševo and Bujanovac should be “annexed to Kosovo in exchange for the north of the province”, Marković said that “we cannot exchange what's ours for (something else that's) ours.”

The minister also said that requests of Albanians from the three municipalities to have more representatives in the state organs, police and customs were still “on the table”, but that “the big obstacle was the fact that many do not speak Serbian, which was a big problem of our education system”.

“However, steps forward have been made, for example, the chief of the Preševo police is an Albanian, as well as a large number of employees. The situation is similar in Bujanovac. Parallel with the integration of Albanians into the republic institutions, a process of Serbs entering the local governments, which are held by Albanians in Preševo and Bujanovac, must be carried out,” he pointed out.

In this context, the minister emphasized the importance of national councils which he described as “the real places for solving contentious issues in education, integration, the use of official language and script, information and other areas”.

“Almost all ethnic minorities have already done that and I expect Albanians to form their council soon,” Marković stated.