The only ethnic Albanian MP in the Serbian Parliament, Shaip Kamberi, has submitted a resolution addressing the discriminatory position of Albanians in the Presevo Valley.
In a Facebook post, Kamberi stated that the resolution aims for the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia to recognize and accept the discriminatory situation of Albanians in the region, and to commit to improving the position of the Albanian community in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanoc, and Medvedja.
“Today I submitted the RESOLUTION ON THE POSITION OF ALBANIANS IN THE PRESEVO VALLEY to parliamentary procedure,” Kamberi wrote. “The resolution aims for Serbia’s National Assembly to acknowledge the discriminatory position of Albanians and express an institutional commitment to improving their situation in line with international obligations, the EU integration process, and domestic legislation. This resolution arises from a long-standing neglect of the requests and rights of Albanians in this region, which has caused serious social and political consequences for the community.”
Among the main issues highlighted by Kamberi are the arbitrary de-registration of addresses, non-recognition of diplomas issued by the Republic of Kosovo, lack of fair and proportional representation in state institutions, barriers to the official use of the Albanian language and national symbols, and the region’s economic underdevelopment.
The proposed resolution calls for the termination of address de-registration practices, the implementation of signed agreements, and the enforcement of legal provisions that guarantee linguistic and educational rights.
“Through this resolution, we call for:
- Implementation of the agreements signed in 2001, 2009, and 2013;
- Ending arbitrary administrative practices that lead to loss of civil rights;
- Full application of legal provisions safeguarding language and education rights;
- Institutional and proportional representation of Albanians in state and public institutions;
- State authorities to prosecute all hate speech against Albanians;
- Creation of development funds with state and international support,” Kamberi emphasized.
The resolution also proposes the creation of a parliamentary body, involving the OSCE, civil society, and Albanian representatives, tasked with investigating all cases of de-registrations. Kamberi also called for the inclusion of the Presevo Valley issue in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, underlining it as part of efforts for sustainable peace.
“Since previous efforts have failed to deliver the promised results, it is proposed that the issue of the Albanian position in the Presevo Valley be included in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue as part of efforts for lasting peace. Passing this resolution would signal the political will to address long-standing challenges and secure equality for all citizens, regardless of ethnicity — which is a prerequisite for democratic development and progress towards European integration,” Kamberi concluded.
He thanked SDA-Sandzak MPs, Ahmedin Shkrijel and Minela Kalender, for supporting the resolution’s submission to parliamentary procedure.
