SOUTHERN SERBIA: ALBANIANS CRITICIZE BELGRADE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BELGRADE 001359 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O.12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PBTS KPAO SR MW KV SUBJECT: SOUTHERN SERBIA: ALBANIANS CRITICIZE BELGRADE REF: 06 Belgrade 232 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) All ethnic Albanian parties from southern Serbia's Presevo Valley signed a declaration, September 29, criticizing the Government of Serbia for "delaying" political progress in the region. The parties alleged that the GOS was militarizing the region, failing to follow through on promised investment, and excluding Albanian leaders from its Coordination Body for Southern Serbia. The GOS dismissed the Albanians as "hypocritical" and insisted that Belgrade's investments in the Presevo Valley, were disproportionately excessive, relative to the population. The declaration reaffirms the Albanians' previous public pronouncements and expresses strong support for the Ahtisaari plan. While the declaration drew the GOS ire, given the politically charged context of Kosovo status talks, its criticism was measured and the drafters exercised restraint, refraining from calling for action or secession. End Summary. The Declaration -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Every major Albanian party from southern Serbia supported a "political declaration" on September 29 in Presevo calling for more autonomy from Belgrade and union with Kosovo, in the event of partition of Kosovo. The declaration restated the position the same parties had outlined in a political platform of the Albanian community in January 2006 (reftel). Sixty-one of the 64 Albanian assembly members from the Serbian municipalities with significant Albanian populations (Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja) signed the document. The declaration followed and denounced an August GOS decision to restructure the Coordination Body for Southern Serbia (CB). The paper criticized the decision and the fact that the government had acted without consulting local Albanian leaders. The signers declared "unreserved" support for the Ahtisaari Plan and asked for implementation in the Presevo Valley of the same community protections that the plan prescribes for Kosovo. The declaration condemned the GOS' "militarization" of the valley and complained that the government had not followed through on promises to develop the region economically and politically. On October 3, Shaip Kamberi, a senior member of the moderate Party for Democratic Action (PDA),told the press that the "political situation in the region [was] worsening" and claimed that the GOS had resources to "build more army bases but not to finish the cultural center in Presevo." He added that the declaration had "nothing to do with the ongoing talks on Kosovo," since it only addressed the needs of Albanians living in the south of Serbia proper. ¶3. (SBU) Presevo Valley leaders and political analysts touted the importance of the declaration, but acknowledged that the document broke no new ground. Riza Halimi, Serbian MP and PDA president, told poloff on October 4 that it was important to show the common conviction of Albanians in the Presevo Valley that the CB was failing. Halimi said that the declaration was purposefully "vague" and no more provocative than the January 2006 platform. According to Halimi, the declaration represented the Albanian parties' common agenda. They continue to disagree on important issues (e.g. a national council). Local OSCE representative Martin Brooks told poloff on October 4 that the declaration was indeed "nothing new" and that it was notably moderate, considering the hardline views still prominent among Presevo Valley Albanians. Still No Albanian National Council -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The declaration's strong support for an Albanian national council is particularly noteworthy. Albanians remain the only minority in Serbia without a national council, a GOS-recognized representative body for minorities to advocate on issues of culture, education, language and national symbols. The major parties -- Halimi's PVD and Presevo Mayor Mustafa's harder line PDSh -- consistently fail to agree on terms of reference for the body which each seek to control. Local Serb Reaction -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Serb leaders in Bujanovac told the that the Albanian declaration was provocative enough and another indication of Presevo Valley Albanians' desire to separate from Serbia. Stojanca Arsic, a leader of the Coalition for Bujanovac told the press on October 3 that "it is not hard to understand why [Serb] citizens do not trust local authorities," when certain Albanian leaders "advocate partition of the region." Brooks also told poloff on October 4 that Serbs in the Presevo Valley "are just as upset with the CB" as the Albanians, but for a different reason: They thought Belgrade provided too much to the Albanian community. BELGRADE 00001359 002 OF 003 GOS reaction -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The government, for its turn, publicly denounced the declaration and rebuffed the criticism. Labor Minister Rasim Ljajic, who heads the CB, on October 1 suggested political opportunism, on the part of the ethnic Albanians of Bujanovac, Presevo, and Medvedja for "express[ing] their political will" in the midst of Kosovo status talks. "Serbia will not pay any special attention to this declaration, which is highly hypocritical," Ljajic said. In an August 28 meeting with poloff, OSCE, and UK representatives, Ljajic, noting that he had no wish to remain President of the CB, said that southern Serbia had received disproportionate amounts of investment (40 million Euros since 2001) and better treatment than other regions of Serbia, even calling the region 'El Dorado.' He cited the Kosovo status process as the only reason to maintain the CB and hoped that it would only last one more year. ¶7. (SBU) On October 3, Ljajic's deputy Nenad Djurdjevic elaborated to poloff that the GOS viewed the declaration as "very unhelpful" and a distraction from "productive GOS efforts" in southern Serbia. Djurdjevic was recently appointed as Ljajic's deputy, and told poloff on September 8 that he would be taking on the day-to-day tasks of the CB. Djurdjevic noted that the CB was planning to open two liaison positions for Albanian representatives in the local CB offices in Bujanovac and Presevo, and expand the CB's press office to help publicize the CB's "positive activities." ¶8. (U) Begin unofficial translation of September 29 declaration: Taking into account the deterioration of political circumstances in Presevo Valley happening as a consequence of: - Disregard of political requests of Albanians from Presevo Valley presented in Political Platform adopted on 14 January 2006, - Filled with indignation as a result of statements made by Serbian officials for militarization of Presevo Valley that represents a threat to peace and stability of the region, - At a period when Kosovo has entered the most important phase for determination of its political-legal status and when the entire region of the Western Balkans is aiming for acceleration of Euro-Atlantic integration process, - In order to bring to life the initiative for our presentation with one national voice that would help the internationalization of our efforts to resolve the status of Albanians from Presevo Valley in spirit with European integration processes: In the meeting held on 29 September 2007 in Presevo, the Assembly of Albanian councilors from Presevo Valley adopts this: POLITICAL DECLARATION In the following period, by constantly endorsing the strategic political orientations of Albanians from Presevo Valley, the Assembly: - Reconfirms its full support for Political Platform adopted on 14 January 2006; - Unreservedly supports the Plan of President Ahtisaari as the only possible compromise for solution of Kosovo status that would produce peace, regional stability and would pave the way for democratization and integration of Serbia into Euro-Atlantic family, - Based on principle of reciprocity engages for application of values and guarantees from the sphere of protection of communities as foreseen in Ahtisaari's Plan in Presevo Valley as well; - Expresses concern for unjustifiable delays of the process for solution of Kosovo's status; - Condemns and considers as unacceptable any form of militarization of Presevo Valley and assesses them as a threat to regional stability and economic development of Presevo Valley; - Urges for increase of level of attention of all relevant international community factors in devotedly observing the grave situation in Presevo Valley and undertaking of appropriate steps for its improvement; - Assesses that presence of international mechanisms in Presevo Valley represents a preventive for maintenance of security, peace, regional stability and its prosperity; BELGRADE 00001359 003 OF 003 - Concerned with delays of political process that has begun in 2001, warns that escalation of situation in this region would reflect with undesirable consequences not only in Presevo Valley, but the entire region; - Concludes lack of functionality in the work of Coordination Body and refuses participation in Decision (23 August 2007) for its reorganization. Assembly will be competent to make decisions regarding the future relations with Coordination Body; - Convinced that establishment of National Council is in the interest of Albanians from Presevo Valley, confirms its engagement for enforcement of legal position of the National Council and its establishment; - Confirms its position that Assembly of Albanian Councillors from Presevo Valley is a representative political body of Albanians from this region and is competent in making of any strategic political decisions for definition of political status of Albanians from Presevo Valley in conformity with Political Platform. Presevo, 29 September 2007, Assembly of Albanian Councilors from Presevo Valley End text. Comment -------------- ¶9. (SBU) By this declaration, the Presevo Valley Albanians have renewed their common complaint about relations with Belgrade taking into account developments since they first issued January 2006 platform. Much as Belgrade may have disliked the rhetoric, the Albanians' declaration was moderate. It did not include provocative calls for union with Kosovo or dissolution of the CB, the stance of some of the harder line parties. Embassy will urge the Presevo Valley Albanians to continue working within Belgrade institutions, building on their historic, successful run in the January 2007 parliamentary elections. Embassy also will continue to urge the GOS and CB authorities to honor their commitments and investments in southern Serbia -- many of which U.S. assistance programs substantially enhance. End Comment. BRUSH