Council of Albanian Ambassadors, Paper EC: The situation of Albanians in the Valley is critical

“Sic may have heard from several media reports, as well as the 2021 European Commission report, from the latest US State Department report, by reports of Serbia's Helsinki Commission on Human Rights, the situation of Albanians in the Presevo Valley is critical. Our visit there has fully confirmed this” situation, the Albanian ambassadors' letter says.

“A modern ethnic cleansing is rightly called presumption of addresses that are realised by law and that enables Serbian state authorities to unregister residents of the Valley, who at a given time are not in their homes”.

The verification process is unilateral and discriminated against, while law enforcement itself is extremely discriminated against only by the Albanian minority in Serbia. Passing addresses has negative direct consequences for Albanians' everydayity. Furthermore, it brings the depopulation of the Valley by Albanians and the removal of the vote's right to”.

The letter also mentions lifting the right to vote for Albanians there, saying the goal of Serbs is to remove Albanians from this area.

There are thousands of Albanians in the Valley, who have already been deprived of the vote and residence of the state civil registry of Serbia”.

“From meetings held with the political personalities of the Presevo Valley, but even with ordinary citizens, we learned about the grim situation in the Valley, the lack of public investment, discrimination against Albanians in employment in local and state administration, for closing the court that forces Albanians to go to the remote town of Vranje for any legal need, etc.

All the more they have led to a modern ethnic cleansing, ethnic discrimination and violence, especially to the Albanian minority living on its own lands, unprecedented even for Serbia itself, as evidenced by the latest report by the American State Department, but also in reports and studies of the Helsinki Committee of Serbia”.

“The goal is to remove the Albanian population from their ethnic lands in this area”.

KAS has further said it wants to bring the status of Albanians in the Valley to the attention of international institutions and the expression of the need for pressure on the Serbian government, Klankosova broadcasts.tv.

The Council of Albanian Ambassadors will prepare and send letters, based on its findings from field visits, even international organisations and institutions dealing with human and national minority rights, in order to exercise pressure to ensure the rights of Albanians living in Serbia”.