Kosovo Albanians demand Skopje recognition

Kosovo Albanians want Macedonia to first recognize the secession, before demarcating administrative boundaries. Dnevnik quotes the Kosovo government’s Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuqi who told Skopje TV Albanian-language program Alsat M that “Kosovo will not allow itself to be blackmailed to be recognized.” Kosovo Albanians demand Skopje recognition “Demarcating frontiers is envisaged by the Ahtisaari Plan, but Macedonia first has to recognize Kosovo. Then, the two governments in the presence of the international representative will settle the matter of administrative boundaries. The Kosovo government will not be blackmailed,” said Kuqi. This was the minister’s response to the Macedonian government’s decision to urgently carry out demarcation of its northern administrative boundary with Kosovo, according to an agreement reached in Skopje in 2001 and the Ahtisaari Plan. At last night’s parliamentary session, Macedonian Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska explained that the government’s request for demarcation stemmed from the plan. The Albanian opposition party, the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) said, via its MP Xhevat Ademi, that “the government is late in recognizing Kosovo independence.” The Macedonian government has not officially announced whether and when it will recognize Kosovo, though at a cabinet meeting two days ago, a decision was taken to urgently begin boundary demarcation, whereby the Macedonian and Kosovo governments would form teams to define the boundary according to the Ahtisaari Plan. The basis for this plan is an agreement signed in Skopje in February 2001 between then Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski and then Yugoslav president Vojislav Kostunica.

Kosovo Albanians demand Skopje recognition

“Demarcating frontiers is envisaged by the Ahtisaari Plan, but Macedonia first has to recognize Kosovo. Then, the two governments in the presence of the international representative will settle the matter of administrative boundaries. The Kosovo government will not be blackmailed,” said Kuqi.

This was the minister’s response to the Macedonian government’s decision to urgently carry out demarcation of its northern administrative boundary with Kosovo, according to an agreement reached in Skopje in 2001 and the Ahtisaari Plan.

At last night’s parliamentary session, Macedonian Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska explained that the government’s request for demarcation stemmed from the plan.

The Albanian opposition party, the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) said, via its MP Xhevat Ademi, that “the government is late in recognizing Kosovo independence.”

The Macedonian government has not officially announced whether and when it will recognize Kosovo, though at a cabinet meeting two days ago, a decision was taken to urgently begin boundary demarcation, whereby the Macedonian and Kosovo governments would form teams to define the boundary according to the Ahtisaari Plan.

The basis for this plan is an agreement signed in Skopje in February 2001 between then Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski and then Yugoslav president Vojislav Koštunica.