Shala: Rugova withdrew from the idea of exchanging territories, following fierce American reactions

Kosovo's <x0ndering> This idea had made a big fuss at that time. But the Americans did not like it at all. Immediately after the reactions, Rugova had been completely withdrawn from his statement. He has never mentioned such a possibility again. After more than two decades the same declaration is being used by current Kosovo President Hashim Thaci to push ahead to exchange borders with Serbia.

Ibrahim Rugova's interview was conducted by journalists Blerim shala and Halil Matoshi in 1994.

Interview author Blerim Shala In T7 has clarified how Rugova withdrew from the idea of exchanging territories with Serbia after being bitterly opposed by Americans.

“In an interview Rugova had come up with an idea now being mentioned, the work of exchanging territories. He was out in 1994 with this idea. In the interview he gave for me and Halil Matosh. But then there were reactions from State Department and there were very severe personal reactions to Rugova. Then he called us into the writers' association and begged me very humanly, said a bono told me you didn't get the interview right. I said this is the smallest job he can do again and again in the next issue, we gave us the explanation that there is error in getting the interview”, Shala claims.

Shala further said Rugova had seen that at the time it is wrong to talk about exchange of territories as it is wrong to speak even now.

He saw that it was wrong to speak at that time about the rock of territories, because even today we think it's wrong to talk about exchange of” territories, says Shala.

However, Thaci, yesterday and today, has been summoned to this statement by Rugova to promote his idea of exchanging territories with Serbia.

“Not the division of Kosovo, but the exchange of territories “, that was President Ibrahim Rugova's realistic and courageous stance in 1994. While, my position today as president of the Republic of Kosovo has evolved and is clear: no partition, no exchange, but correction of the border between Kosovo and Serbia, to enable the congregation of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja with Kosovo”, Thaci wrote on Facebook yesterday. Today, he posted a newspaper sheet from Rugova's interview.

Thaci, has remained alone in the initiative for restructuring the border between Kosovo and Serbia. He has no support for either the position or the opposition. Supportary countries of Kosovo, such as Britain and Germany, as well as connoisseur of Balkan issues, have been declared against a possible idea for exchange or changing borders in the Balkans.