Basha in Belgrade seeks respect for Albanians' rights of Presevo Valley

Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha, in his address to the Subcommittee for the Western Balkans of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe that took place in Belgrade, also spoke of Albanians in the Presevo Valley.

He said that double standards cannot be used by Belgrade, which requires the rights of the Serb minority in Kosovo and does not respect the rights of the Albanian minority in Serbia.

The head of Euro-Atlantic Democrats addressed some of the Albanian concerns in the Presevo Valley, such as presuming addresses, not allowing textbooks and national symbols, not integrating Albanians into public administration and compulsory military service.

I have had the opportunity to visit Presevo and Bujanoc municipalities. They presented me with concerns that I am sure have also been presented to authorities in Belgrade. This is an old issue of display addresses. This is experienced and seen by the Albanian population there as a silent ethnic cleansing of this region. So this is something that authorities in Belgrade have to treat with transparency and in line with commitments they have under the European Convention for Human Rights”.

All these Belgrade restrictions, Basha said Albanians in this region see it as a silent ethnic cleansing.