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Underrepresentation and address passivization concern Albanians in the Valley, who seek US engagement

The situation of Albanians in the Presheva Valley and the problems they face were discussed during a meeting at the headquarters of the Albanian National Council, where Chairman Enkel Rexhepi received representatives of the Embassy of the United States of America in Belgrade.

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The meeting was attended by US diplomat and First Secretary Pepijn Helgers, Political Section official Ksenija Lazović, and Political Officer Joseph “Joe” Gayeski.

Rexhepi said that the passivization of Albanians’ addresses in the Presheva Valley was one of the central issues discussed.

According to him, the process is being used as an administrative procedure for what he described as “the ethnic cleansing of Albanians in the Valley by administrative means.”

The chairman of the Albanian National Council accused the Government of Serbia of failing to implement the agreements that had been signed, which, he said, had hindered the economic development of the Valley and weakened the representation of Albanians in state institutions.

“The failure of the Serbian Government to implement the signed agreements has left the Valley as the least developed region, while Albanians remain underrepresented, discriminated against and facing increasingly difficult living conditions,” Rexhepi wrote.

During the meeting, it was pointed out that the situation of Albanians in the Valley had deteriorated compared with 15 years ago.

Rexhepi said that institutional exclusion and the failure to integrate Albanians into Serbia’s institutions had led to a decline in the number of Albanian police officers, judges and prosecutors compared with 15 years ago.

He claimed that some republican institutions had no Albanian representatives at all.

Rexhepi concluded his post by describing the United States as “the main ally of Albanians.” Meanwhile, he described the US Embassy in Belgrade as a friendly embassy to the Albanian National Council and the Albanians of the Presheva Valley.