Hoti: Serbia is trying to distance Albanians from centuries-old lands in Presevo Valley

Serbia's “State Actions in the Presevo Valley have been in constant discrimination. Whatever the case, the three municipalities where Albanians live are the most underdeveloped. The quality of physical, health and educational infrastructure is evidently weaker than in other municipalities in Serbia similar to municipalities in the Presevo Valley. Public investments, making changes in quality and life, have long been lacking in these” municipalities, Hoti said.

Hoti called the Serbian state's actions disturbing by paying off Albanians from the civil registry in those municipalities.

“This administrative action is discriminatory and violates basic human rights. Through this action Serbia is trying to remove Albanians from their centuries-old lands. Many families have already suffered from such actions, but these methods will not succeed. These actions must stop immediately. The EU and other Western countries must react much more strongly against these actions of Serbia”, Hoti said.

For this, Hoti said that first, Kosovo and Serbia must take all state and diplomatic actions to protect the basic rights of Albanians on those lands.

These actions, according to him, should be coordinated.

Important “Rol can particularly play Albania in discussions taking place at O level The SEU and the Council of Europe. In particular, information and support must be sought by Washington, which has the power and mechanism needed to discipline Serbia”.

“S second, representatives of Albanians in the Presevo Valley at the central and local level should be unified in their political actions over the Serbian state, speak in a voice and be co-ordinated with Pristina and Tirana, as they have been in the past. Civil society organisations must be supported in the Valley, which should be very loud against any injustice and discrimination done to Albanians. Sometimes civil society, being unpolitical, is much more powerful in senbilising injustices against Albanians”.

“3, Kosovo and Albania must support Albanians in institutional and concrete form in the Presevo Valley. Support must be part of official budgetary planning in the field of education, health, economy, NGOs, culture and other fields”, Hoti said.

Hoti has also talked about how during his term as prime minister, he has come to the aid of Albanians in eastern Kosovo.

“I've taken these actions:

(1) I have maintained regular and correct communication with representatives of Albanians in the Valley. I have met them constantly and have asked them to co-ordinate their political actions among themselves and co-ordinate with Pristina.

(2) I have raised the problem of injustice being done to Albanians in the Valley at meetings with our partners in Pristina and during visits abroad, in particular to the US.

(3) During my government, we established “State for the Presevo Valley” within the framework of the Prime Minister's Office. This office was founded in co-ordination with our international friends and was part of the Government's Government Order for the Office of the Prime Minister, where the mandate and its duties were defined. The mandate of “Zyra for the Presevo Valley” has been to co-ordinate Kosovo's state actions in support of Albanians in the Valley. For 2021, we have prepared and adopted the Office's work plan that would coordinate the actions of all government dictatorships in support of the Valley. Under that plan, government dictatorships should be part of their official plans and actions of support for Albanians in the” Valley, Hoti said.