Greater Albania rising: Meeting the Gov’ts of Kosovo and Albania in Prizren

BETA, RFE/RL, B92, Blic, Telegraf

Governments of Kosovo and Albania held a joint session today in Prizren, and one of the topics was the position of Albanians in the municipalities of Bujanovac and Presevo in Serbia.

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“It was a historic meeting, after 100 years two prime ministers and two governments met. This is the first step towards the unification of Albanians, moving towards a single state,” said the President of the Movement for Democratic Progress Jonuz Musliu.
Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said that one of the major decisions today, in the joint session of the Governments of Kosovo and Albania in Prizren, is establishing a fund for the Albanians in Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac.
“Welcome to the shared house,” said Thaci at the opening of first session of the two governments, which he considered ” historic and a new chapter for Kosovo, Albania and the region.”
“The meeting of our two governments, in this holy place of the revival of the Albanian nation, presents respect to our heroes from various periods of time, and a proof that their hard work, sweat and blood is respected,” Thaci said, RFE/RL reported.
“Thanks to their work, present and future generations can enjoy more peace, freedom and development, and the citizens of Kosovo and Albania can live nearby and without barriers on their homes,” he said.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said that two governments share aspiration for contribution to Albanian and regional integration in a united Europe.
“We are more than citizens of the two neighboring countries. Vast majority of our citizens belong to a nation which, with all internal differences, has a common language, culture and tradition,” said Rama.
The first session of the two governments was marked by the signing of an agreement on cooperation in the field of trade, transport and European integration.

Hint of a new regional unrest?

Thaci said that, at this session, a promise will be made of taking historical responsibility of taking care of their compatriots who live in the region, to strengthen ties with the Albanian diaspora and announced the establishment of a fund for the Albanians in the Presevo Valley.
“The citizens of Kosovo and Albania, and those in Tetovo, Presevo, Ulcinj and in the Diaspora, eagerly awaited this joint session. It is no coincidence that one of the major decisions today is the formation of a fund for the Albanians in Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac,” Thaci said.
He added that the “aim of this intergovernmental forum is to harmonize policies and attitudes concerning the unsolved problems of Albanians wherever they are.”

Kind of national unity – Demaci

One of the leading political authorities in Kosovo, Adem Demaci, said that the joint meeting of the Governments of Kosovo and Albania is a “kind of national unity.”
In an interview with a Kosovo daily, Demaci said that “given the time, space in which we live, and international developments, this (joint session) is a kind of national unity”.
He said that the joint session is a step towards strengthening the two countries and Albanians in general.
“Kosovo and Albania should have taken that step much earlier, but it’s better late than never. I expect that the cooperation between the two countries will continue positively in all areas,” said Demaci.
He said that he felt very good when he learned that the representatives of the two governments agreed to establish a fund for the Presevo valley, adding that “We must show to Serbia that we will never forget our brothers and sisters, and that we will help them within the possibilities that we have. That is commendable.”