VZCZCXRO8183
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBW #1359/01 2781743
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051743Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY BELGRADE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1549
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC 1386
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BELGRADE 001359 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PBTS KPAO SR MW KV
SUBJECT: SOUTHERN SERBIA: ALBANIANS CRITICIZE BELGRADE 
 
REF: 06 Belgrade 232 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) All ethnic Albanian parties from southern Serbia's Presevo 
Valley signed a declaration, September 29,  criticizing the 
Government of Serbia for "delaying" political progress in the 
region.  The parties alleged that the GOS was militarizing the 
region, failing to follow through on promised investment, and 
excluding Albanian leaders from its Coordination Body for Southern 
Serbia.  The GOS dismissed the Albanians as "hypocritical" and 
insisted that Belgrade's investments in the Presevo Valley, were 
disproportionately excessive, relative to the population.  The 
declaration reaffirms the Albanians' previous public pronouncements 
and expresses strong support for the Ahtisaari plan.  While the 
declaration drew the GOS ire, given the politically charged context 
of Kosovo status talks, its criticism was measured and the drafters 
exercised restraint, refraining from calling for action or 
secession.  End Summary. 
 
The Declaration 
--------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Every major Albanian party from southern Serbia supported a 
"political declaration" on September 29 in Presevo calling for more 
autonomy from Belgrade and union with Kosovo, in the event of 
partition of Kosovo.  The declaration restated the position the same 
parties had outlined in a political platform of the Albanian 
community in January 2006 (reftel).  Sixty-one of the 64 Albanian 
assembly members from the Serbian municipalities with significant 
Albanian populations (Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja) signed the 
document.  The declaration followed and denounced an August GOS 
decision to restructure the Coordination Body for Southern Serbia 
(CB).  The paper criticized the decision and the fact that the 
government had acted without consulting local Albanian leaders.  The 
signers declared "unreserved" support for the Ahtisaari Plan and 
asked for implementation in the Presevo Valley of the same community 
protections that the plan prescribes for Kosovo.  The declaration 
condemned the GOS' "militarization" of the valley and complained 
that the government had not followed through on promises to develop 
the region economically and politically.  On October 3, Shaip 
Kamberi, a senior member of the moderate Party for Democratic Action 
(PDA), told the press that the "political situation in the region 
[was] worsening" and claimed that the GOS had resources to "build 
more army bases but not to finish the cultural center in Presevo." 
He added that the declaration had "nothing to do with the ongoing 
talks on Kosovo," since it only addressed the needs of Albanians 
living in the south of Serbia proper. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Presevo Valley leaders and political analysts touted the 
importance of the declaration, but acknowledged that the document 
broke no new ground.  Riza Halimi, Serbian MP and PDA president, 
told poloff on October 4 that it was important to show the common 
conviction of Albanians in the Presevo Valley that the CB was 
failing.  Halimi said that the declaration was purposefully "vague" 
and no more provocative than the January 2006 platform.  According 
to Halimi, the declaration represented the Albanian parties' common 
agenda.  They continue to disagree on important issues (e.g. a 
national council).  Local OSCE representative Martin Brooks told 
poloff on October 4 that the declaration was indeed "nothing new" 
and that it was notably moderate, considering the hardline views 
still prominent among Presevo Valley Albanians. 
 
Still No Albanian National Council 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The declaration's strong support for an Albanian national 
council is particularly noteworthy.  Albanians remain the only 
minority in Serbia without a national council, a GOS-recognized 
representative body for minorities to advocate on issues of culture, 
education, language and national symbols.  The major parties -- 
Halimi's PVD and Presevo Mayor Mustafa's harder line PDSh -- 
consistently fail to agree on terms of reference for the body which 
each seek to control. 
 
Local Serb Reaction 
------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Serb leaders in Bujanovac told the that the Albanian 
declaration was provocative enough and another indication of Presevo 
Valley Albanians' desire to separate from Serbia.  Stojanca Arsic, a 
leader of the Coalition for Bujanovac told the press on October 3 
that "it is not hard to understand why [Serb] citizens do not trust 
local authorities," when certain Albanian leaders "advocate 
partition of the region."  Brooks also told poloff on October 4 that 
Serbs in the Presevo Valley "are just as upset with the CB" as the 
Albanians, but for a different reason:  They thought Belgrade 
provided too much to the Albanian community. 
 
BELGRADE 00001359  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
GOS reaction 
------------ 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The government, for its turn, publicly denounced the 
declaration and rebuffed the criticism.  Labor Minister Rasim 
Ljajic, who heads the CB, on October 1 suggested political 
opportunism, on the part of the ethnic Albanians of Bujanovac, 
Presevo, and Medvedja for "express[ing] their political will" in the 
midst of Kosovo status talks.  "Serbia will not pay any special 
attention to this declaration, which is highly hypocritical," Ljajic 
said.  In an August 28 meeting with poloff, OSCE, and UK 
representatives, Ljajic, noting that he had no wish to remain 
President of the CB, said that southern Serbia had received 
disproportionate amounts of investment (40 million Euros since 2001) 
and better treatment than other regions of Serbia, even calling the 
region 'El Dorado.'  He cited the Kosovo status process as the only 
reason to maintain the CB and hoped that it would only last one more 
year. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) On October 3, Ljajic's deputy Nenad Djurdjevic elaborated 
to poloff that the GOS viewed the declaration as "very unhelpful" 
and a distraction from "productive GOS efforts" in southern Serbia. 
Djurdjevic was recently appointed as Ljajic's deputy, and told 
poloff on September 8 that he would be taking on the day-to-day 
tasks of the CB.  Djurdjevic noted that the CB was planning to open 
two liaison positions for Albanian representatives in the local CB 
offices in Bujanovac and Presevo, and expand the CB's press office 
to help publicize the CB's "positive activities." 
 
¶8. (U) Begin unofficial translation of September 29 declaration: 
 
Taking into account the deterioration of political circumstances in 
Presevo Valley happening as a consequence of: 
 
- Disregard of political requests of Albanians from Presevo Valley 
presented in Political Platform adopted on 14 January 2006, 
 
- Filled with indignation as a result of statements made by Serbian 
officials for militarization of Presevo Valley that represents a 
threat to peace and stability of the region, 
 
- At a period when Kosovo has entered the most important phase for 
determination of its political-legal status and when the entire 
region of the Western Balkans is aiming for acceleration of 
Euro-Atlantic integration process, 
 
- In order to bring to life the initiative for our presentation with 
one national voice that would help the internationalization of our 
efforts to resolve the status of Albanians from Presevo Valley in 
spirit with European integration processes: 
 
In the meeting held on 29 September 2007 in Presevo, the Assembly of 
Albanian councilors from Presevo Valley adopts this: 
 
POLITICAL DECLARATION 
 
In the following period, by constantly endorsing the strategic 
political orientations of Albanians from Presevo Valley, the 
Assembly: 
 
- Reconfirms its full support for Political Platform adopted on 14 
January 2006; 
 
- Unreservedly supports the Plan of President Ahtisaari as the only 
possible compromise for solution of Kosovo status that would produce 
peace, regional stability and would pave the way for democratization 
and integration of Serbia into Euro-Atlantic family, 
 
- Based on principle of reciprocity engages for application of 
values and guarantees from the sphere of protection of communities 
as foreseen in Ahtisaari's Plan in Presevo Valley as well; 
 
- Expresses concern for unjustifiable delays of the process for 
solution of Kosovo's status; 
 
- Condemns and considers as unacceptable any form of militarization 
of Presevo Valley and assesses them as a threat to regional 
stability and economic development of Presevo Valley; 
 
- Urges for increase of level of attention of all relevant 
international community factors in devotedly observing the grave 
situation in Presevo Valley and undertaking of appropriate steps for 
its improvement; 
 
- Assesses that presence of international mechanisms in Presevo 
Valley represents a preventive for maintenance of security, peace, 
regional stability and its prosperity; 
 
 
BELGRADE 00001359  003 OF 003 
 
 
- Concerned with delays of political process that has begun in 2001, 
warns that escalation of situation in this region would reflect with 
undesirable consequences not only in Presevo Valley, but the entire 
region; 
 
- Concludes lack of functionality in the work of Coordination Body 
and refuses participation in Decision (23 August 2007) for its 
reorganization. Assembly will be competent to make decisions 
regarding the future relations with Coordination Body; 
 
- Convinced that establishment of National Council is in the 
interest of Albanians from Presevo Valley, confirms its engagement 
for enforcement of legal position of the National Council and its 
establishment; 
 
- Confirms its position that Assembly of Albanian Councillors from 
Presevo Valley is a representative political body of Albanians from 
this region and is competent in making of any strategic political 
decisions for definition of political status of Albanians from 
Presevo Valley in conformity with Political Platform. 
 
Presevo, 29 September 2007, 
 
Assembly of 
Albanian Councilors from Presevo Valley 
 
End text. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) By this declaration, the Presevo Valley Albanians have 
renewed their common complaint about relations with Belgrade taking 
into account developments since they first issued January 2006 
platform.  Much as Belgrade may have disliked the rhetoric, the 
Albanians' declaration was moderate.  It did not include provocative 
calls for union with Kosovo or dissolution of the CB, the stance of 
some of the harder line parties.  Embassy will urge the Presevo 
Valley Albanians to continue working within Belgrade institutions, 
building on their historic, successful run in the January 2007 
parliamentary elections.  Embassy also will continue to urge the GOS 
and CB authorities to honor their commitments and investments in 
southern Serbia -- many of which U.S. assistance programs 
substantially enhance.  End Comment. 
 
BRUSH