South Serbia Leaders Praise Belgrade-Pristina Deals

The deal represents “a major positive shift” not only in relations between Belgrade and Pristina, but between Serbs and ethnic Albanians in the region, according to Galip Beqiri, president of the National Council of Albanians.

“The list of problems hindering the two communities is huge, and it is important for the future of the region to begin solving them,” Beqiri said.

He added that he expects another contentious issue, recognition of university diplomas from Kosovo, to be resolved as well. Ever since Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in February 2008, non-recognition of diplomas has been a major issue for ethnic Albanians in the south, who often study in Kosovo.

According to an announcement by negotiating teams from the two countries, discussion of the diploma issue will resume later this month.

Riza Halimi, the only ethnic Albanian deputy in the Serbian parliament, also praised the new agreements, which will open up freedom of movement in the region and access to birth, death and marriage records. According to Halimi, the agreements represent the “true end of the ghettoization of [ethnic] Albanians in Serbia.”

“Kosovo Albanians have not been able to travel with their vehicles on Serbian roads, while Serbs had such a right in Kosovo,” said Halimi, leader of the Party for Democratic Action, PDD. “This deal has corrected the injustice.”

In the ethnically divided city of Bujanovac, officials are cautiously optimistic.

“The deal will create a good atmosphere not only in further talks, but in the overall Serbian-Albanian relations, because it’s the only way for coexistence,” said Deputy Mayor Zoran Antic, a member of the Serbian community.

“This agreement represents the first step on our path towards the European Union, which is the common goal of both Serbs and [ethnic] Albanians,” said Deputy Mayor Nagip Arifi, leader of the newly formed Democratic Party, which represents ethnic Albanians in the South.

“No one should expect quick and ideal solutions to problems that have existed for years,” said Stojanca Arsic, another leader of local Serbs in Bujanovac and vice president of the local parliament. “But it is encouraging that everything can be resolved with a compromise under the auspices of the EU.”

South Serbia is still recovering from armed conflict that broke out a decade ago between Serbian security forces and rebel ethnic Albanians fighting in the Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac. The conflict lasted from November 2000 to June 2001, when it was ended by intervention from NATO and the international community.