Albanians in Kosovo protest against EU proposal to establish Union of Serb Municipalities
BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – Ethnic Albanian Kosovars have expressed their opposition to Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s plan to establish the Union of Serbian Municipalities.
A protest was staged in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Pristina against the European Union’s proposal for the formation of the Union of Serbian Municipalities.
One demonstrator, Fazli Haziri, said the move could be the starting point for the division of Kosovo. “Bosnia and Herzegovina is the best example. It started with four municipalities there, and we know the situation there today — it has become a dysfunctional country. Kosovo has become a dysfunctional country. It is too small to divide, so we oppose it,” said Haziri.
Protesters held banners that read: “On behalf of the Albanian people against the Union of Serbian Municipalities”.
Zenel Hulaj, another protester, said he wanted to protect the state of Kosovo. “I did not have the opportunity to come to the Kosovo war, but this is a kind of war. It is a war against Serbia, which fooled some rookies before. Now, I came here to fight, we must fight to prevent the establishment of the Union of Serbian Municipalities in Kosovo because then the Serbian army and Serbian police will come here and they will even print passports here in our country,” said Hulaj.
The agreement to establish the Union of Serbian Municipalities in municipalities where most Serbs live in Kosovo was signed between Kosovo and Serbia in 2013 under the mediation of the EU but the deal could not be put into practice.
Muslim majority Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia after a long struggle in 2008, with most UN member states recognizing it as an autonomous country. However, Serbia — where ethnic conflict between Muslims and ethnic Slavs is endemic — continues to regard it as its territory.
Lately, the parties have been negotiating what is popularly known as the Franco-German proposal, supported by the US and all EU members.
Serbian President Aleksander Vucic said in October that Germany and France offered to expedite Serbia’s EU membership process if it recognized Kosovo’s independence and allow it to become a member of international organizations.
According to the proposal, Kosovo should allow the establishment of the Union of Serbian Municipalities in the north where most Serbs live.
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