Kosovo Serbs to move to Valley, Kosovo Valley Albanians

In order to have no territorial exchange, Protic says it would be better to have population exchanges -- northern Kosovo Serbs moving to the Presevo Valley, and the local Albanians to deploy in northern Kosovo.

“> Today in Serbia everyone sings the same song that Kosovo should not be recognised. Except for those who talk about keeping the conflict frozen, but they're bullshit and leaving the problems Serbia faces. I think the solution is very clear if we take national interests into account. It would be best to exchange the residents. And if we could deal with Albanians, it would be ideal. For Kosovo Serbs to emerge in Serbia, and Albanians from the Presevo Valley go to Kosovo. On the condition that the executority of our religious objects in Kosovo be guaranteed with the right and obligation to finance Serbia. We need to guard what is precious to us, not to put it in the service of the field war. Most politicians are not interested in churches, nor in holy places, nor in memorials and historical sites”, Protic said in an interview for the Serbian magazine “Nedeljnik”, Coha.net broadcast.

On the other hand, Protic, arguing with his idea, says Greeks and Turks have exchanged 2.5 million people, while this is about 150 thousand Albanians and Serbs.

We need Serbs to be able to live like people, not on razor wire, so those kids can learn in good schools, which have a bright future. Greeks and Turks exchanged 2/5 million people, and here we are dealing with about 150 thousand Serbs and Albanians. My proposal will all support, except for those who have direct interests from crime, those who receive two salaries, those who bought apartments in Belgrade, live in Mitrovica... After all, we are moving from Kosovo for 300 years now. Why are we moving? For a better life then. Why did my wife's family come in the '70s, in that wonderful time of Tito's, but go anyway? It is not Albanians who have prevented the return of Serbs to Kosovo, but a Serb from until yesterday -- perhaps even today -- had a street in Belgrade and was called priest Vlada Zechev. Do we suffer from amnesty?

I can't be so present and say yes, but it would be a topic for serious negotiations with Americans and Europeans. There would be no border changes to which Merkel and Europe insist. If I lived in northern Kosovo, I would look forward to sending my family to Serbia. I would feel sorry for my ancestors, for the monuments, but man must look to the future. Our people go to Australia, Canada, South Africa and leave everything here if they have a better chance of living. Serbia's south is desolate, and eastern Serbia is empty. There's room for everyone. Only criminals and corrupt people head to Kosovo today, Milan St. Protic.

Below, Koha.net brings some of his statements on Kosovo in this interview:

* Kosovo and Republika Srpska must be put on a line. The principle of self - determination should be the same for everyone. If Albanians' rights are based on their will for self-rule, who then can take this right from RS Serbs?

* We at the same time defend Kosovo, even though it is lost, and celebrate Tito, who is directly responsible for what Kosovo has achieved today. Tito gave the province, which evolved into constitutional elements with sovereign power, Tito prevented the return of Serbs to Kosovo, Tito has kept the border open with Albania, Tito gave Albanians the right to decide for Serbia, and Serbia could not decide for them... And for such a policy hundreds of thousands of Serbs moved from Kosovo since the 1960s of the last century...

* Have we forgotten all this, huh? And today Tito celebrates half of Serbia and half of politicians, and his grave in this state is invulnerable and tourist attraction... Will we once tell the truth that the loss of Kosovo is the consequence of the titisms? We loved Tito, and we swear today, we want to go back to that time... In a study by Ndeljnik, it turns out most people would vote for Tito if he were alive. All right, I got nothing against it, but then there's Kosovo. I'm sorry. Whoever thinks differently, it's a raffle.

* Milosevic gave the last nail to the independent Kosovo coffin after he, by armed means, tried to solve the breakup of Yugoslavia. Perhaps in the years of '{0}'90, a compromise solution for Kosovo is possible and that Serbs have an impact on political decision-making and on how Kosovo would be built, just as they have in Croatia. Milosevic chose to protect Yugoslavia with war, and those opportunities were lost, including Kosovo.

* If there were no war, and if Milosevic in 1999 did not start violent in Kosovo, things would be different. Nor would there be bombings, nor capulation through the Kumanovo Agreement, nor arguments on which the major powers decided to recognise Kosovo's independence. Serbia today is a hostage to Kosovo. In addition, neither preambles in the Constitution have a binding form. It is simply a declaration to the norms of the Constitution.

* But what would Serbia benefit if Kosovo remained in its constitution? No government of Serbia could be formed without Albanians. Perhaps we would not have him prime minister, but Foreign Affairs Minister Hashim Thaci or Ramush Haradinaj. Is that in our interest? For Albanian representatives in their language to insult the state of Serbia in its parliament? Is that the solution? If so, well done, but I think it's not. In addition, Kosovo is the most isolated part, not only of Serbia, but of Europe. Poverty, poverty, crime, primitive, disease... and what is it that came from Kosovo? To rebuild there, it would take at least 500 years.

* I am not very optimistic that Zoran Djindjic would do something about Kosovo. We had Milosevic's hands tied since then. Our main mistake has been that we have not told the people openly and sincerely what our situation is and what Milosevic's legacy is, but that for unclear reasons they took responsibility for his failed policy. We did not tell the people what our real chances of doing something positive in Kosovo, but we continued to give him false images of being summoned to Resolution 1244, which no one skee has read to the end of which we misuse it and we are called to it only where it depends.

* My idea was based on the fact that we won an agreement for Kosovo for Milosevic's extradition. And I thought it was morally reasonable because he was responsible for Kosovo. I even suggested that we go to Milosevic's prison and open up to go to The Hague to solve Kosovo... My stance was not accepted, in all, to Kostunica, while Djindjic was skeptical, he understood neither Americans nor the substance nor the depth of changing republicans to the government. After a few months, September 11th came and everything went to hell, because the U.S. was shocked in its field.

* If Kosovo is Serbia's heart, what is Macedonia? Beast? What makes Macedonia less Serb sacred than Kosovo? Have we shed less blood on him? There are many Serb shrines there today, belonging to other churches. The hero is Ratko Mladic. Our ancestors died in Macedonia, while in 1912 we took Kosovo without firing any lead.

* Someone in this country cares about the Kosovo problem never resolved, living in a dark environment where we don't know who we are, whether we are or where we are. This is politics. Here the church promotes vengeance, territorial expansion, deals with state sovereignty and international relations. Where is it? The church has completely forgotten forgiveness, suffering, pain, completely forgotten the words of Christ...