Albanian parties from south "withdraw from talks"

BELGRADE Zoran Stankovic reacted to the decision of Albanian parties to "halt the talks with Belgrade" by saying that "a policy of demands brought no good to anyone." Stankovic, who heads the Coordinating Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, said over the weekend that the authorities had not been officially informed about the decision. Albanian parties from south "withdraw from talks" "The coordinating body will continue to solve the problems of the people in that area and, within the limits of its capabilities, ensure a better life for the people," Stankovic noted. When asked if the talks would continue, he replied that they "had not been stopped." "The talks have to continue and it is up to them to decide when," he pointed out. The people's lives will go on normally, he added. "We, as the Serbian government, have no right to stop paying the scholarship of 250 students from Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja... I cannot ask that the construction of a maternity hospital in Presevo be stopped, I cannot ask that the scholarships for university students across Serbia be cancelled, for the construction of a student building in Bujanovac to stop, I cannot behave irresponsibly towards the citizens," Stankovic stated. Leaders of ethnic Albanian political parties from southern Serbia have decided unanimously to stop the talks with the Serbian government "regarding the seven points," Tanjug reported, quoting MP from the Coalition of the Albanians of the Presevo Valley Riza Halimi. The reason for the decision is the rejection of the amendments Halimi proposed to the bill on the court network law adopted by the Serbian parliament last Wednesday. Bujanovac (Beta, file) "Don't end talks" Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said on Saturday that the leaders of ethnic Albanian parties from southern Serbia had not reason to end their talks with the government and called on them not to do that, "because they had no one else to make agreements with." He said he had been informed that the leaders of ethnic Albanian parties from Serbia's southern municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja were not happy with the new court network law regarding its provisions on courts and prosecutors' offices. "I do not know what is in question and I think there is no reason for that, and if they do not want to talk to us, who will they talk to? They have no one," he told reporters. Based on the talks with ethnic Albanian representatives from Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja in January and February, which were attended by OSCE officials, the Serbian government adopted in June a platform consisting of sevenpoints, whose implementation has begun in the meantime. The platform refers to the presence of ethnic Albanians in government institutions, economic recovery of the three municipalities, official use of the Albanian language and national symbols, decentralization of the judiciary, education, culture, media, healthcare, social security, security and measures to establish trust in the three municipalities in southern Serbia where the ethnic Albanian minority lives. Tanjug

Albanian parties from south "withdraw from talks"

"The coordinating body will continue to solve the problems of the people in that area and, within the limits of its capabilities, ensure a better life for the people," Stanković noted.

When asked if the talks would continue, he replied that they "had not been stopped."

"The talks have to continue and it is up to them to decide when," he pointed out.

The people's lives will go on normally, he added.

"We, as the Serbian government, have no right to stop paying the scholarship of 250 students from Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa... I cannot ask that the construction of a maternity hospital in Preševo be stopped, I cannot ask that the scholarships for university students across Serbia be cancelled, for the construction of a student building in Bujanovac to stop, I cannot behave irresponsibly towards the citizens," Stanković stated.

Leaders of ethnic Albanian political parties from southern Serbia have decided unanimously to stop the talks with the Serbian government "regarding the seven points," Tanjug reported, quoting MP from the Coalition of the Albanians of the Preševo Valley Riza Halimi.

The reason for the decision is the rejection of the amendments Halimi proposed to the bill on the court network law adopted by the Serbian parliament last Wednesday.

"Don't end talks"

Prime Minister Ivica Dačić said on Saturday that the leaders of ethnic Albanian parties from southern Serbia had not reason to end their talks with the government and called on them not to do that, "because they had no one else to make agreements with."

He said he had been informed that the leaders of ethnic Albanian parties from Serbia's southern municipalities of Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa were not happy with the new court network law regarding its provisions on courts and prosecutors' offices.

"I do not know what is in question and I think there is no reason for that, and if they do not want to talk to us, who will they talk to? They have no one," he told reporters.

Based on the talks with ethnic Albanian representatives from Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa in January and February, which were attended by OSCE officials, the Serbian government adopted in June a platform consisting of sevenpoints, whose implementation has begun in the meantime.

The platform refers to the presence of ethnic Albanians in government institutions, economic recovery of the three municipalities, official use of the Albanian language and national symbols, decentralization of the judiciary, education, culture, media, healthcare, social security, security and measures to establish trust in the three municipalities in southern Serbia where the ethnic Albanian minority lives.