Belgrade – Zoran Stankovic, the President of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, said for the “Evening News” daily  that the provocations and wishes of Albanian politicians were one thing, but that those three municipalities functioned according to the Serbian Constitution, laws and international conventions, and that they would not be discussed in the Brussels dialogue. 

Mr. Stankovic underscored that the implementation of the law in the area of the three municipalities was being carried out by the heads of local self-governments and state bodies of Serbia with the full support of the International community’s officials, who were firm in the position that the territory of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja had not been, was not and would not be discussed in Brussels or anywhere else, given that it was an inalienable part of Serbia.

He also said that Serbs, provided they had achieved unity, could get a good result in the upcoming local elections in Presevo.  

“If they are united, they can achieve the result they want, which corresponds to the number of Serbs in Presevo. There are no Serbs in the local self-government in Bujanovac, but they hold leading positions in the health center, primary and secondary schools, the land registry, the tax administration, the post office and the police, "Mr. Stankovic said.

While commenting on the alleged lack of textbooks for the Albanian population in those municipalities, the President of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja pointed out that only Albanians made up the local self- government in Presevo and Bujanovac, and that the three municipalities, apart from the regular budget, received from the state additional two million euros every year.

"Albanians exclusively form the local governments in Presevo and Bujanovac, they are educated and informed in their mother tongue, they have three MPs in the Parliament, they make up more than 50 percent of the police in Presevo, they receive salaries and pensions and they have complete freedom of movement and religious belief," Mr. Stankovic stressed.

The entire interview granted by Zoran Stankovic to the "Evening News" daily is available on  https://www.novosti.rs/vesti/politika/972875/intervju-zoran-stankovic-uzalud-uvlace-tri-juzne-opstine-dijalog

Source: “Evening News” daily and Coordination Body