Serbia's Albanians Insist On Flying Tirana's Flag

New National Council of Albanians in the south insists on right to fly Albanian flag, defying Belgrade's demand that they choose a different emblem.

Bojana Barlovac

Belgrade

Ethnic Albanians in southern Serbia are on collision with Belgrade over use of a flag by their new National Council. The Council wants to fly the flag of neighbouring Albania.

But Serbia's Law on the Protection of Rights and Freedoms of National Minorities says that symbols of national minorities cannot be identical to the flags, symbols or emblems of another state.

Baki Rehxepi, head of media in the National Council of Albanians, said they wanted to use the existing Albanian flag rather than invent a new one. "I don't see one reason why we shouldn't use the Albanian flag," he told Balkan Insight.

The question of the use of the Albanian flag comes up every year on November 28, when Albanians in southern Serbia mark Flag Day, their national holiday.

From 1968-1989, and from 2000 to date, ethnic Albanians have celebrated the day with a special ceremony, flying Albanian flags from town halls in their strongholds of Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja.

Like other ethnic minorities in Serbia, ethnic Albanians obtained the right to establish a National Council under legislation adopted last year.

The Albanian council, formed in June, has no legislative authority but enjoys broad competences over the use of symbols and over cultural, educational and language matters. National Councils also have the right to access funds and set up their own media.

According to Rehxepi, the department for symbols within the council has just been formed to discuss the flag issue.

Serbian officials say they have no objection to a flag that resembles Albania's, so long as it is not identical. "Such a solution does not prevent the selection and use of traditional symbols that are similar to the symbols of other states," ministry of human rights officials told Balkan Insight.

Riza Halimi, the only ethnic Albanian MP in Serbia's parliament, said he doubted that Albanians in the south would agree to fly anything other than the Albanian flag, a double-headed eagle on a scarlet background.

"This [issue] will be a tough task for the Council, taking into consideration that ethnic Albanians got used to using the Albanian flag in Serbia for years," Halimi told Balkan Insight. Albanians in the neighbouring Macedonia and Montenegro routinely use the Albanian flag as their symbol, he noted.