Dacic Says Serbia Must Develop Poor South
Prime Minister says economic development of the south is a priority if the country does not want it to become 'an empty territory'.
Serbia's Prime Minister says that the relatively poor, ethnically divided southern border region can only develop and overcome its tensions with the help of large strategic projects.
“If we do not change our ways, we will have an empty territory, which would be disastrous for Serbia,” Ivica Dacic told a meeting between government and local officials and businessmen on Saturday.
Dacic said that there could be no strong Serbia if “its most patriotic part, the south”, remained under-developed.
“While we are here talking... other parts of Serbia have provinces, regions, offices in Brussels, and are using money from European funds... the rich are becoming even richer while the poor are getting even poorer,” Dacic complained.
The meeting came a week after members of a local body representing the area's ethnic Albanians adopted a declaration demanding an association of majority Albanian municipalities. Serbia has slapped down the idea.
The South Serbia area is home to 50,000 or so ethnic Albanians who live in areas contiguous to mainly Albanian Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008.
In 2001, the region saw an armed conflict between the security forces and Albanian rebels, which ended with the help of the international community and NATO.
There has been no return to armed conflict since, but discontent remains high, especially since the authorities in January removed a monument erected last November to the rebels in the Albanian stronghold of Presevo.
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Background
History and Politics of South Serbia
The South Serbia region, predominantly populated by ethnic Albanians, lies some 350 kilometres south of Serbia`s capital, Belgrade. In contemporary political language, the term “South Serbia” is understood to refer to the territory of three municipalities - Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja.
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Education and Culture in South Serbia
Resources and institutions of South Serbia
South Serbia Demographics
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