GOA URGES PRESHEVO VALLEY ALBANIANS TO PARTICIPATE IN

UNCLAS TIRANA 000255 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/SCE E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL YI AL SUBJECT: GOA URGES PRESHEVO VALLEY ALBANIANS TO PARTICIPATE IN SERBIAN ELECTIONS ¶1. (U) Local Albanian leaders from Serbia's Preshevo Valley visited Tirana March 31 to discuss upcoming elections and general concerns about the rights of ethnic Albanian residents. Representatives of the four major Albanian political parties, including Riza Halimi, Chairman of the Party for Democratic Action; Ragmi Mustafa, Chairman of the Democratic Albanian Party (and Chairman of the Preshevo Commune); Adnan Salihi, Deputy Chairman of the Movement for Democratic Progress (and Chairman of the Assembly of the Bujanovc Commune); and Merxhan Memishi, of the Albanian National Movement, met with Prime Minister Berisha and Foreign Minister Basha. ¶2. (U) Foreign Minister Basha discussed the scheduled May 11 elections at length, encouraging the political parties to participate as well as to use their influence to encourage the ethnic Albanian community to vote. Basha emphasized to the group that active democratic participation is their best opportunity for input in local decision-making processes. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: In contrast to its polarized domestic agenda, the GOA's foreign policy continues to be forward thinking and nuanced, increasingly adept at outreach and persuasion, as seen in the GOA's interaction with the Preshevo Valley delegation. That the GOA took this time to meet with the Serbian-Albanians, with the NATO decision looming and Gerdec political fallout continuing to mount, demonstrates the high priority that the most senior levels of the GOA places on its efforts to enhance regional stability. END COMMENT. WITHERS