US Congressmen Visit Presevo Amid Concerns Over Albanian Rights in Serbia

Members of the US House of Representatives, Republican Keith Self and Democratic Suhas Subramanyam, will stay in Presheva today, where they are expected to meet with representatives of local government, Albanian political parties and the Albanian National Council.

The visit to this city in southern Serbia, inhabited by an Albanian majority, comes after, earlier this year, the Foreign Policy Committee of the House of Representatives of the US Congress approved a bill requiring the US Secretary of State to prepare a comprehensive report on the position of minorities in Serbia, with a particular focus on Albanians in the Presevo Valley.

The bill, initiated by Congressman Keith Self, provides for the consideration of several issues related to the Albanian minority in Serbia, including the passivation of addresses, namely the deletion of citizens from the addresses where they are registered.

It also addresses restrictions on the use of the Albanian language in public institutions, the non-recognition of diplomas from Kosovo, and the lack of textbooks in the Albanian language.

These issues are also mentioned in the US State Department's report on human rights in Serbia for 2023.

The Mayor of Presheva Municipality, Ardita Sinani, in a statement to Radio Free Europe, praised the visit of the American congressmen as an important signal of international attention to the position of Albanians in the Presheva Valley.

The day before, they stayed in Belgrade, where they met with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Nevena Jovanović.

According to the announcement of this ministry, the meeting discussed bilateral relations between Serbia and the US, the situation in the region, as well as the position of the Serbian community in Kosovo.

A meeting with the Speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Ana Brnabić, was also planned, but it was canceled.

On May 24, US congressmen also visited Sarajevo, where they emphasized their commitment to the Dayton Peace Agreement and the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

They are expected to continue their Balkan tour with a visit to Kosovo.

Members of the Albanian community living in southern Serbia, in the municipalities of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac, have often raised concerns about discriminatory practices by the authorities in Belgrade, while Kosovo Government officials have consistently supported their claims.

Kosovo has offered support in several areas, including agriculture, but has reported that Serbia has obstructed the realization of some payments.

Representatives of the Presevo Valley and the Serbian state reached three agreements in 2001, 2007, and 2013, which provided for the protection of the rights and integration of the Albanian minority, but their implementation has remained limited.

The integration of Albanians into institutions is also part of Serbia's obligations within the framework of negotiations for membership in the European Union.

According to the latest population census in 2022, over 60,000 Albanians live in Serbia, making up the fourth largest minority in this country.

Meanwhile, Belgrade's decision to reinstate compulsory military service has caused concern among Albanians in this area, who say they have painful experiences from the past.

In a 2021 report by the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Presheva, Medveđa and Bujanovac are described as "hostages of relations between Kosovo and Serbia"./ REL