web counter
LEXO PA REKLAMA!

SHKARKO APP

App Store
Google Play

E fundit!

x

The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo: The current Project-Statute of the Association creates space for a Serbian Republic

2024-02-03 22:44:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo: The current Project-Statute of the

The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Emilija Rexhepi, calls the draft statute drawn up by the international community for the establishment of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority harmful, as, according to her, it creates opportunities to create a Serbian Republic similar to the one that exists in Bosnia. During the interview with her colleague Artan Haraqija, the representative of the Bosniak community of Kosovo says that the government will wait for the position of the Constitutional Court, before "drafting a new statute for the Association".

Voice of America: Mrs. Rexhepi, Kosovo is under constant pressure for the establishment of the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian majority. What steps is your government taking to fulfill this obligation that is part of the agreement reached in Brussels and Ohrid?

Emilija Rexhepi: As a new government, with Prime Minister Albin Kurti, we have inherited this problem. I am one of those who voted for the establishment of this Association in 2015, although this has been an issue since 2013, considering that the Serbian community should be integrated into the state of Kosovo, as the rest of us have done, in order to have right to live, to be educated, to work. But now that is quite another matter, as I consider that the present draft gives them too many rights, that the executive power of the Association, if established, would be great, and that would harm our state. If such an Association were to be established, the possibility would be created to establish a second Serbian Republic as it was established in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a government, we have a position that is based on the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo and we will wait for the position of the Constitutional Court so that we do not do anything that harms our state.

Voice of America: You say that the Project-Status that came from the EU, from the international community is in harm's way...?

Emilija Rexhepi: The draft that we have seen gives a lot of executive power to the Association and may lead to the creation of a new state within our state.

VOA: So you oppose the draft statute and will not accept it...

Emilija Rexhepi: I am always against this and this is not against the Serbs, but it simply creates space in the future, for this part of the territory to break away and maybe declare another republic.

Voice of America: Then why doesn't the government of Kosovo draft its own draft statute and why hasn't it done so until now, because it has been a while since this has become an international condition that Kosovo must fulfill?

Emilija Rexhepi: We have cooperation and we have close talks with the United States of America, with the European Union and the road to the EU is something that offers us progress and perspective and we will not give up on it. Our government will definitely rely on the Constitutional Court, we will wait for its opinion and then we will take the matter into our own hands and draft a new statute for the Association.

Voice of America: Another issue that has caused problems between Kosovo and the international community is the holding of elections in the four municipalities of the northern part. Although Western diplomats preferred the resignation of the mayors, your government chose a more complicated process through a petition that has already been signed. Are these delays detrimental to the processes and relations of Kosovo with the international community?

Emilija Rexhepi: We have no problems with the international representatives and the international community as I appreciate that we did the right things. We always have problems with the Serbs, starting with car registration, the reciprocity process, as Serbia benefits more from exports than Kosovo. Then you saw what happened in Banjska, the attacks on KFOR, the attacks on our policemen, a life was lost and security was obviously damaged. It could lead to an escalation of great violence, and it's good that we stopped it properly. I appreciate that even the Serbs living in the northern part of the state are tired of all this as a part of the Serbs have resigned from the police and this seems to me to be part of a scenario that has been drawn up before so that maybe they can save their lives and for someone else to suffer from the police, regardless of ethnicity... I appreciate that when the local elections were held, we were forced by the Constitution, our representatives had to hold the elections due to the non-functioning of the local government in the four municipalities of the northern part. It was neither the government nor the Albanian representatives who are now in those municipalities to blame for that, as the Constitution must be respected. Serbs have the right to choose how to be represented in their municipalities and I hope that soon we will organize local elections and decide who will represent them. It is certain that these will not be Albanians or Bosniaks, but they must participate in the vote. Their decision not to participate in the elections created the possibility for others to run and win the elections. If you want to be part of the Kosovo society, part of a normal state and live together with them, normally you have to be part of the institutions.

Voice of America: Can you say why there is a lack of courage within the Serbian community to separate from the parallel structures and integrate into the Republic of Kosovo?

Emilija Rexhepi: Mendoj se duhet të përqëndrohemi në zhvillimin ekonomik, në mbijetesën e familjes, diçka që unë si zëvendës kryeministre për minoritete e kam bërë tani me organizatën ndërkombëtare ICO për investime kapitale për komunat ku jetojnë komunitetet që nuk i përkasin shumicës me theks të veçantë në veriun e Kosovës në mënyrë që të përfshihen të gjithë serbët. Ky projekt ka vlerën prej 300 milionë euro, pra bëhet fjalë për një investim tejet të madh. Kemi në plan që ta realizojmë këtë prej vitit 2024 deri më 2030, për gjashtë vjet. Fjala është për projekte madhore duke filluar nga infrastruktura, ndërtimi i spitalit, ndërtimi i shkollave dhe rrugëve, mbështetja e zhvillimit ekonomik dhe projekte që kanë të bëjnë me ruajtjen e identitetit kombëtar, gjuhës të të gjitha kulturave. Aty shoh hapësirë për kohezion më të mirë shoqëror, për dialog ndër-etnik me shqiptarët dhe të gjithë ne të tjerët dhe zhvillim më të fuqishëm të atyre zonave. Vetë fakti që në këtë projekt tani janë të përfshirë serbët e veriut dhe ku po punojmë për një vit e gjysmë, krijon hapësirën dhe mundësinë që të bashkëpunojmë dhe komunikojmë më mirë në të ardhmen. Unë jam e hapur dhe nuk kam asnjë problem që të bisedoj dhe punoj me serbët, shqiptarët, boshnjakët. Unë respektoj çdo kombësi, çdo fe dhe vetëm në këtë formë e ardhmja e Kosovës do të jetë e mirë.

Zëri i Amerikës: Trajtimi me përparësi i komunitetit serb, ndërsa ju jeni përfaqësuese e komunitetit boshnjak, nuk besoni që i lë në hije interesat, çështjet me rëndësi të komuniteteve tjera pakicë që nuk janë serbë?

Emilija Rexhepi: Unë kam punuar me serbët dhe kam qenë në parlament me ta dhe kam votuar shumë ligje me rëndësi që janë në interes të popullit serb. Serbët duhet ta kuptojnë se të drejta të njëjta kanë edhe boshnjakët, turqit, goranët, romët. Nuk mund të ketë privilegje vetëm për njërën kombësi e as që duhet të viktimizohet kombësia tjetër. Një popull nuk mund të jetë superior. Fakti që jetojmë në një Kosovë multietnike është një vlerë. Në qeveritë e mëparshme ka qenë ashtu, ata kishin koalicione me partinë Lista Serbe dhe komuniteti serb gjithmonë ka dominuar. Tani jo, qeveria e zotit Albin Kurti u jep shumë hapësirë komuniteteve të tjera, shumë prej nesh jemi në institucione. Unë jam zëvendëskryeministre dhe kjo është hera e parë që nuk është një serb dhe kjo u jep një kënaqësi komuniteteve të tjera që të ndihen të lirë në shtetin e tyre.

VOA: Last year, you mentioned several ethnically based incidents. You mentioned a case in Prizren, one in Gjakovë where a member of the Egyptian community was not allowed to enter a bar, for ethnic reasons. You have said that one of the possibilities to get away from this situation is for families, starting with the Albanian majority, to re-educate and raise their children with the idea that there is not only one ethnic community living in Kosovo, but there are a variety of ethnicities. and different languages ??and they have to get used to it. Almost a year later, do you believe there is a positive change in this aspect?

Emilija Rexhepi: We who live in different environments, where there are different communities, grew up in such a way that we socialized together, we went to school together, we work together and we don't have such problems. However, in Kosovo there are areas that are ethnically pure, where only Albanians, only Serbs or Bosniaks live, an ethnic village, so it is very important to educate your children in such a way that you are not the only one living here and it is not only the children your important and equally important are the children of others. They may be different but they are also Kosovans and you must love them as you love your own, respect them and above all they are your friends, your neighbors, they can be your partners or work colleagues and I appreciate that we still need to work in this direction and strengthen our system to give space to everyone. Even Albanians must learn that other cultures live in Kosovo and that they speak other languages. Serbs should know that in Kosovo the majority are Albanians and where there are others who speak other languages ??and we must respect each other and live together./ VOA





Lajmet e fundit nga