TIRANA, Aug. 23 – Albania and Macedonia, Kosova’s two neighboring countries, have clearly said that its partition would be the worst scenario for the former war-torn region.
Tirana has harshly attacked any voice saying that a Kosova partition would turn the region back to the former crisis, saying that ethnic states would not be the best solution for this area.
The same stand comes Thursday from Skopje saying they would support any solution that would not include Kosova’s partition of the territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Albania has continuously said in the last week that any idea for a Kosova partition belonged to the former late Slobodan Milosevic’s idea or that of other extremist wings in Serbia.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha and Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha have said this week that if Kosova’s northern Mitrovica would go to Serbia, then it would be the Albanians’ right to ask for a compensation of the Presevo valley. But that would take the trend to creating ethnic nations in the Balkans, which has been the main reason of the war that divided the former Yugoslavia.
On Thursday senior Macedonian officials openly asked that the Contact Group principles of non-division of Kosova should not be touched. Macedonian Security Council said any solution not touching its borders would be supported by them.
“Kosova’s partition would present a threat to Macedonia,” said President Branko Crvenkovski. “Such a division would be along the ethnic lines and that would mean encouraging many radical structures in the whole region and the threat from such groups should not be underestimated.
While Albania naturally supports Kosova with its ethnic Albanian majority neighboring Macedonia has also a great number of Albanians, official about one fourth though practically likely much more, that would be really displeased if their ethnic Albanian brethren would be again in a difficult position and, why not, urge them ask for more of their rights and joining in an ethnic country.
Tirana has meanwhile has made it quite clear it is not favoring the creation of an ethnic Albanian state, that it has not territorial claims on Kosova, thus respecting what the international community has set that no ethnic nation should be created afterward.
