The integration of Albanians into Serbia’s state institutions, particularly the police, was one of the main topics discussed by the mayor of Bujanoc, Arbër Pajaziti, and representatives of the US Embassy in Belgrade.
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Pajaziti received the American representatives on Tuesday to discuss issues directly related to the position of Albanians. The meeting was attended by the First Secretary of the US Embassy, Pepin Helgers, Ksenija Lazovic from the Embassy’s Political Department, and political officer Joseph Gajeski.
After the meeting, the mayor of Bujanoc said the discussions focused on ongoing cooperation with the US diplomatic mission and on the problems affecting Albanians in the Presheva Valley.
Particular attention was paid to the representation of Albanians in the institutions of the Republic of Serbia. Pajaziti singled out the police and other public institutions, linking the employment of Albanians in them to equality and fair representation.
According to him, the parties discussed the need for greater integration of Albanians into state institutions, with priority given to their inclusion in the police and other public institutions.
This demand has been raised for years by Albanian political representatives from Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja. Radio Free Europe has previously reported that efforts to integrate Albanians into Serbian institutions have continued for more than a decade, with the police, courts, prosecution service and public administration among the main areas of focus.
The meeting with the American representatives took place just one week after Pajaziti and other Albanian political and institutional representatives from Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja met in Prishtina with Kosovo’s prime minister, Albin Kurti.
On September 15, the participants discussed the challenges facing Albanians in the Presheva Valley and ways to strengthen their political representation. According to a statement from the Kosovo Prime Minister’s Office, the meeting was attended by representatives of several Albanian political entities, Presheva mayor Ardita Sinani, Arbër Pajaziti, the president of the Albanian National Council, Enkel Rexhepi, and representatives from Medvegja.
Pajaziti thanked the American representatives for the Embassy’s continued interest in issues affecting the local community. He emphasized that cooperation and dialogue with partners are important for Bujanoc in creating more opportunities, equality and prospects for everyone.
Tuesday’s meeting once again highlighted a sensitive issue for Albanians in southern Serbia: beyond the formal recognition of minority rights, concrete participation is being sought in the institutions that exercise state authority in the areas where they live.
Representation in the police remains particularly important because of the role of security structures in relations between the Albanian community and the institutions in Belgrade. Radio Free Europe has reported that local actors view equal representation in the police, judiciary, prosecution service and administration as an important factor in institutional integration and in increasing trust in the state.
Arbër Pajaziti has headed the Municipality of Bujanoc since 2024. Official municipal documents also currently confirm him as mayor.
