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Dana Rohrabacher: Same rights for Kosovo Serbs
29. October 2011. | 10:17
Source: Tanjug
U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who recently unveiled the initiative for resolving the Belgrade-Pristina dispute by partition and exchange of territories and population, stated that the principle of self-determination should also be applied to Serbs from northern Kosovo.
U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who recently unveiled the initiative for resolving the Belgrade-Pristina dispute by partition and exchange of territories and population, stated that the principle of self-determination should also be applied to Serbs from northern Kosovo.
If the self-determination principle was respected during the creation of Kosovo, then it should also apply to Serbs living in northern Kosovo, said Rohrabacker, who will together with a group of congressmen visit Belgrade in early November.
Commenting on his initiative, Rohrabacker told the Voice of America that both sides would benefit from the transfer of territories. The solution is quite simple, because there is the Presevo Valley in Serbia, with 90 percent of the Albanian population. Exchange of territories would ease tensions and at the same time increase possibility of cooperation between the two parties, he said.
Rohrabacker stated that people who are afraid to change borders are wrong in this case, because this is not a matter of separation by people who do not want to live in someone else's sovereign territory. It is necessary to find a solution which would prevent any new war in the Balkans, he noted.
The US congressman also said that the resolution for Kosovo should be realized before the American troops withdraw from the region, and added that the US and European diplomacy have to face with the fact that status-quo is unsustainable. He intends to discuss the issue with officials in Belgrade and Pristina during his visit to the region.
The US Congress delegation will be visiting Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina as of November 5.
Comments (4)
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30. October 2011. 06:50:57
| Ime
0
What about the rights of the Albanians in Presheva, Medoreva and Bojanov? Most K Albanians would rather reunite Kosovo with Albania. Independence is the compromise.
30. October 2011. 06:50:57
| Ime
0
All self-determination claims should be considered on a contextual, case-by-case basis. I fully support self-determination, but it is important to weigh any claim on its merits. Even by ignoring all the calamity the Serbs have inflicted on the Albanians in the past 20 years, the Serbs of N.Kosovo lost any legitimate claim to self-determination after some of their rank killed an Albanian police officer, who was simply enforcing the law of the land of Kosovo and was a non-aggressor. Even now, they continue to impede freedom of movement efforts, despite its enshrinement in UN Res 1244. Perhaps the congressman should dig in a bit deeper into the situation before proposing partition, which is largely a reactionary and petty solution.
30. October 2011. 17:56:06
| Ime
0
Kosovo is ours and independence is not a compromise because it is illegal to Serbian law.
You invaded and infiltrated our land and now you want to separate it and tie it to Albania?!! That is crazy.
The Albanians in Presevo Valley et al are living in SERBIA and there should be no land swap just because the Albanians spread like rabbits.
You have taken Kosovo from us which we have the longest historical attachment to and now you think u can take these other towns in Serbia, are you kidding?
If people look at the history the only thing they will do is realise that Kosovo does not belong to Albanians and it has been an integral part of Serbia (that we built) with a Serbian majority for a lot longer than Albanian.
The solution is for NATO to withdraw and Kosovo remains a part of the Serbian economy.
One police officer was shot because he tried to enforce a 'law' that does not exist. Force was used to establish "law" in an area that already has law! Serbian law.
30. October 2011. 17:56:06
| Ime
0
Who decided Kosovo belonged to Albanians? Kosovo is Serbia. Watch out Europe.