Kosovo map shrinks from demarcation with neighbours

Following the demarcation or demarcation of the border line with Macedonia, a contraction of Kosovo's territorial surface of about 190 hectares is noted.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how it will reflect on Kosovo's territorial surface and demarcation with Montenegro, as this line has not yet been defined, despite ratification of the demarcation agreement.

In the statistical editor published days ago by the Kosovo Statistics Agency, where they have data from the Kosovo Cadastral Agency, it is said last year that Kosovo's area has been 10,905 square kilometers, down from 10.908, as long as it was for the previous decades.

Avni Kastrati from the Kosovo Statistics Agency tells Radio Free Europe that Kosovo's surface data is obtained by the Kosovo Cadastral Agency.

“means the surface of Kosovo's territory, the Statistics Agency officially receives it from the Kosovo Cadastral Agency”, Kastrati said.

But officials at the Kosovo Cadastral Agency have not responded to the issue.

Tomor Cela, expert Commission for measuring territory of the Republic that Kosovo committed by the past Kosovo government told Radio Free Europe that reduction or reduction of the surface has taken place on the border line with Macedonia.

We have clarified in the measurement report that in the border segment between Kosovo and Macedonia, there has been a reduction of surface for 1. 91 square miles [91 sq km], in the residence of the Restelica, (the municipality of Dragas) and Dumbles (The Year's Community)”, he said.

While in Dimca's settlement, Elezi's Khan municipality has had an increase in the surface. However, the whole minus of Kosovo's surface in proportion to the segment on the border with Macedonia is 1.91km, which falls 191 hectares”, said Cela.

Kosovo had ratified the demarcation agreement with Macedonia in 2009, following several negotiations that had lasted several months.

And three years after objections and debates, in March of this year, the Kosovo Assembly has been able to ratify it Also the border demarcation agreement with Montenegro. This agreement was signed in August 2015 in Vienna.

The next process of border demarcation will be extended to the border area with Serbia. Members of the State Commission for Marking and Maintaining Kosovo Borders have already pointed to Radio Free Europe, that Kosovo has enough potential to approach border demarcation issue with Serbia's state.

Tomor Cela considers there will be no territorial changes even after the demarcation with Montenegro and Serbia ends.

I do not expect any changes for the reasons that we have enough arguments, for each hand of Kosovo's territory, and this denies the possibility that Kosovo territory will undergo changes even after the completion of demarcation with Montenegro and Serbia”, said Cela.

To verify the area of Kosovo's territory, the government, passed December 2016, had decided to establish a commission of territory-cauturing experts, consisting of 18 representatives of professional, scientific, management and civil society agencies, and had invited several representatives of international institutions to quality observers.

Marking the border line with all neighbouring countries also presents a condition for rounding up Kosovo's international subjectivity, and preconditions of the European Union and NATO to move forward in the integration process.