"Exchange of territory is dangerous"

A Kosovo Albanian government in Priština officials says that a possible "exchange of territory between Kosovo and Serbia" would open up the issue of borders.

Izvor: Beta

Tuesday, 29.06.2010.

15:44

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A Kosovo Albanian government in Pristina officials says that a possible "exchange of territory between Kosovo and Serbia" would open up the issue of borders. It would also pose a danger to the stability of the region, said Deputy PM Hajredin Kuqi. "Exchange of territory is dangerous" He stated that reports recently about a possible "exchange of territory between Kosovo and Serbia" had been present for a long time, but that they did not have any grounds in reality. “Opening up the idea about the exchange of territories would neither begin nor end with Kosovo,” he told the BBC Albanian language service. According to the Kuqi, it would be "best to solve the problem by European integrations". Albanian language media in Pristina have taken to quoting western diplomatic sources in the past few weeks to report that Serbia would, after the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), offer negotiations about a "new border with Kosovo", and also to exchange "northern Kosovo for Presevo (valley)". The province's north is predominantly inhabited by Serbs, while the south-eastern parts of central Serbia, known informally as the Presevo Valley, are mostly ethnic Albanian. The ICJ is expected to rule later this year in a case forwarded to it by the UN General Assembly on Belgrade's request, and offer its advisory opinion on the legality under international law of the Kosovo Albanian unilateral independence declaration. The proclamation was made in February 2008, and was immediately dismissed by Serbia as an illegal act of separatism. The United States and 22 out of 27 EU countries have recognized Kosovo as independent, but the territory was unable to join the UN where Serbia has the backing of permanent UN Security Council member Russia.

"Exchange of territory is dangerous"

He stated that reports recently about a possible "exchange of territory between Kosovo and Serbia" had been present for a long time, but that they did not have any grounds in reality.

“Opening up the idea about the exchange of territories would neither begin nor end with Kosovo,” he told the BBC Albanian language service.

According to the Kuqi, it would be "best to solve the problem by European integrations".

Albanian language media in Priština have taken to quoting western diplomatic sources in the past few weeks to report that Serbia would, after the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), offer negotiations about a "new border with Kosovo", and also to exchange "northern Kosovo for Preševo (valley)".

The province's north is predominantly inhabited by Serbs, while the south-eastern parts of central Serbia, known informally as the Preševo Valley, are mostly ethnic Albanian.

The ICJ is expected to rule later this year in a case forwarded to it by the UN General Assembly on Belgrade's request, and offer its advisory opinion on the legality under international law of the Kosovo Albanian unilateral independence declaration.

The proclamation was made in February 2008, and was immediately dismissed by Serbia as an illegal act of separatism.

The United States and 22 out of 27 EU countries have recognized Kosovo as independent, but the territory was unable to join the UN where Serbia has the backing of permanent UN Security Council member Russia.

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